Irish flat season opens

Today marks the start of the official flat season in Ireland with a strong card at the Curragh. However the best horses on view will not be racing, but will be seen a doing a racecourse gallop afterwards, with Aidan O´Brien working several of his leading classic candidates including St. Nicholas Abbey. The form of the Aidan O´Brien stable will be put to the test earlier as he has several well-fancied runners. He can take the main event, the Group Three Park Express Stakes over a mile at 16.55 CET with Devoted to You (Johnny Murtagh), who has his stable companion Lady Lupus (Joseph O´Brien) and English raider Danehill´s Pearl (Tom Dascombe/ Richard Kingscote) to beat. O´Brien should also win the 3yo maiden at 18.30, in which he has 4 of the 19runners, with Encompassing, the choice of stable jockey Murtagh, while son Joseph partners Purple Heart, who has top-weight in the 7 furlongs Madrid Handicap for 3yo´s at 18.00 and could well outclass this opposition.

The big betting race at the Curragh is the Irish Lincolnshire over a mile at 17.30. With 22 runners, this is obviously a very tricky race, but ex-German Maximo (Tom McCourt/ BA Curtis), who ran really well at Dundalk last time, should go well off bottom-weight.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Emperor Hadrian - Glor Na Mara - Madeira Man
2. Race: Majestic Dancer - Dance Hall Girl - Full Of Hope
3. Race: Six Of Hearts - Zaralanta - Sioduil
4. Race: Devoted To You - Lady Lupus - Akdarena
5. Race: Motafaany - Award Ceremony - Barack
6. Race: Purple Heart - Hen Night - White Front
7. Race: Encompassing - Reiteration - Captainofthefleet




There is also N.H. racing at Cork, where 6 of the 7 races are over hurdles and the other a bumper. Ruby Walsh is in action here and can land a double with Siberian Tiger for Tony Martin in the maiden hurdle at 15.55 and American Job for Tom Nagle in the conditions hurdle at 17.05.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Jerry`S Agent - Frosted Grape - Headline Act
2. Race: Siberian Tiger - Donnachas Chant - Second Glance
3. Race: Go On Ya Boyo - Total Excitement - Golden Kite
4. Race: Rigour Back Bob - Footy Facts - American Job
5. Race: Capal Dubh Alainn - Dolly Hall - Rossdara
6. Race: The Flying Dustman - Hoochie Mama - All The Eights
7. Race: Romantic Lead - Bring Me Back - Star Stiches