Group race at Naas

There is good flat racing from Ireland this afternoon, with a Group Three race over 6 furlongs for 2yo fillies at 17.10 CET at Naas the main feature. Jim Bolger´s Cuis Ghaire (Kevin Manning) was a narrow winner on her debut from Dermot Weld´s Silver Shoon (Pat Smullen) and can possibly confirm the form, as they meet on the same terms. The listed race over 5 furlongs at 16.40 is also well-contested, and David Nicholls´ Tax Free, woth son driuan nin the saddle, can possibly win this for the second year running, as the main expense of the much-improved Snaefell (Mike Halford/ Pat Smullen). David Wachman´s Contest (Johnny Murtagh) also comes into the reckoning, but 9yo Osterhase, running in this event for the 6th time and winner in 2004 and 2006, appears to have lost form. There is also N.H. racing from Listowel, where Ruby Walsh looks the man to follow, with 5 good rides, three of them for Tony Martin.

Thirsk and Windsor this evening

Windsor stages its usual Monday evening fixture, this time featuring a listed race over 6 furlongs at 21.00 CET. Luca Cumani´s Balthazars Gift (Jimmy Fortune) is well-treated by the conditions and is clear top rated here, but he has only won once in the last 30 months so is no good thing to score this time. Hoh Mike (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer) and Prime Defender (Barry and Michael Hills) both ran well in a huge field at York, where Sonny Red (Richard Hannon/ Ryan Moore) completely failed to show his form. Hoeber his previous efforts put him in here with a great chance. At Thirsk, Peter Chappe-Hyam´s Karoush (Alan Munro), third on his debut at Newbury against probably stronger opposition, should win the 7 furlongs maiden at 20.15.

Carlisle and Leicester

Flat racing this afteroon at Carlisle and Leicester with some big fields, especially at Carlisle, where top weight Midnight Mystique (David Barron/ Neil Brown) can defy top weight in the fillies handicap over 9 furlongs at 16.15 CET. The two divisions of the 3yo maiden over 1 1/2 miles at Leicester look more interesting. Hamdan al Maktoum should take the first division at 17.30, as his two candidates Meethaaq (Sir Michael Stoute/ Richard Hills) and Mushtaaq (Michael Jarvis/ Martin Dwyer) could have the race to themselves. The second division looks much more open; Hamdan again has two entries, Dalhaan (John Dunlop/ Hills) and Waarid (William Haggas/ Dwyer), woth clearn preferene fothe form, but there are seveal others with possinbilities, notably Willie Jarvis´ Gravitation (Tom Queally), by Galileo out of an Acatenango mare, the Queen´s beauitiful dreamer (Stoute/ Moo9re) and Paul Cole´s well-bred debutant Optimus Maximus (Richard Qunn), a half-brother to Guineas winner Bachir, who cost nearly a million as a yearling. The class 2 conditions race for fillies over 7 furlongs at 16.30 is also a good race. Henry Candy has his string in good form and can score here with the lightly-raced Danae (Fergus Sweeney), whose narrow maiden win last time out has been well boosted since.