Graded races in Ireland today

Two very poor flat meetings today - at Brighton this afternoon (best avoided when the ground is heavy, as at present) and on the all-weather this evening at Wolverhampton, but the jumps racing is more interesting, in particular the Irtsh card at Punchestown with two graded races. Both have small fields but there are some smart performers in action, and Aleichi Inois (Willie Mullins/Ruby Walsh), who runs in the novice chase at 16.45 CET and certainly looks a potential star. He was quite decent over hurdles but has found his true metier chasing and is now unbeaten after four starts. He has to concede quite a lot of weight to his 4 opponents today, but it will still be a shock if he is beaten.

There are only 4 runners in the 2 mile 7 furlongs chase half an hour later, two of them trained by Gordon Elliott, who has won this for the past 3 years, twice with Roi du Mee (Paul Carberry) who now tries again and has stable companion Don Cossack (Bryan Cooper) to beat. Both are coming off a break, so Alderwood (Tony Mullins/ Paul Townend) could be a big threat with a fitness and weight advantage. Another one to note here is Little King Robin (Colin Bowe/ Mark Walsh), who runs - despite ther male sounding name - in the listed mares hurdle at 15.45; she was runner-up here last year, but is much improved in 2014 and has already won five times and can make it number six for the year today.

In the U.K. we shall give yet another chance to the frustrating Schlenderhan-bred Milord (Kim Bailey/ David Bass) in the maiden hurdle at 17.50 at Wincanton; the Monsun gelding continually disappoints, but is up in trip here which might help. Best bet at Uttoxeter is Straits of Messina (Tom Symonds/ Felix de Giles) in the handicap hurdle at 17.00; he was runner-up to another ex-Schlenderhan runner Agapanthus over this CD 11 days ago, and a repetition of that form should be good enough today.