1.45 John Ormonde Wexford Sand Irish EBF Maiden 1m

It takes a high-class sort to win on debut at Galway and newcomer Perisher fared best of those with no previous experience when second to a useful-looking Ballydoyle juvenile at the festival last month. With the benefit of that run under his girth, the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt should be bang there under championship-chasing Dylan Browne McMonagle. The 130,000gns yearling has entries for the Champion Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and Beresford Stakes back here at the Curragh.

Given the outstanding record of Aidan O’Brien’s two-year-olds in maidens at the Curragh this season, Hawk Mountain is entitled to major respect, though he didn’t hint at massive fireworks when fifth on his debut here three weeks ago, for all that it was a solid type of run. Star Chamber has been gelded since his debut fifth behind Italy and could be an improver for Ger Lyons, while Port Of Spain was just behind Hawk Mountain last time and is open to progression for the champion trainer.

SELECTION: PERISHER

Next best: Hawk Mountain

2.20 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes (Group 3) 1m

Aidan O’Brien has won the last two renewals of this with even-money and 6/5 favourites, and the same stable’s Sugar Island is likely to be right at the top of the market for this year’s renewal. It must be considered a big vote of confidence in the Dubawi filly that Ryan Moore prefers her over stablemate Moments Of Joy, given that rival won a Leopardstown maiden on debut and finished third in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen. Sugar Island looked useful on debut, albeit the form of that race hasn’t worked out brilliantly.

If Moore had opted to ride Moments Of Joy, the selection probably would have been different, but it’s off-putting that the stable jockey didn’t opt to partner the proven blacktype performer. Queen Of Hawaii won nicely at Leopardstown last time and is entitled to a crack at this level, while Cape Sounion has yet to win but has been running extremely consistently and is worthy of close inspection on the basis of her penultimate second to Silver Flash/Debutante Stakes winner Composing in a maiden here in June.

SELECTION: SUGAR ISLAND

Next best: Moments Of Joy

2.52 Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes

(Group 3) 6f

The distance is the key factor in splitting two of the leading players here. Ipanema Queen, winner of the Listed Curragh Stakes over five furlongs a fortnight ago, is battle-hardened, likeable and proven at stakes level, but she was being strongly pressed at the line over the minimum trip last time and showed bundles of natural pace. Yes, she won a maiden here at six furlongs on debut, but her career-best has been at five furlongs.

Mission Central hasn’t achieved what the Adrian Murray-trained filly has managed, winning a maiden here three weeks ago on his second start, but he was dominant on that occasion - bolting up by eight lengths. With the potential for further improvement to come as a more unexposed type, he gets a tentative nod, for all that there’s very little to split the pair on a line through Whatchadoin (beaten eight and a quarter lengths by Mission Central and eight lengths by Ipanema Queen). Chicago Call wasn’t disgraced at a big price in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and might represent a bit of each-way value.

SELECTION: MISSION CENTRAL

Next best: Ipanema Queen

3.27 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes (Group 3) 1m 1f

Azada was unlucky to bump into an on-song One Look here last time and perhaps the slight drop in trip to nine furlongs will prove her optimum. Connections also try cheekpieces on the listed-winning four-year-old for the first time, and the rain could easily be a positive for her too (listed win on yielding and maiden win on heavy). Dermot Weld, Chris Hayes and the Aga Khan team won this race 12 months ago with another four-year-old filly too.

Red Letter, a listed winner on soft ground last time, comes here in fine form and this looks a good spot for her on ratings, though the likeable Snellen is officially rated 1lb superior and she comes here on the back of a battling success at Leopardstown. Barnavara is chasing a hat-trick and can be underestimated in the market at times, while British raider Sand Gazelle adds another layer of depth to this after a decent display to win in listed company at York. The third won the Listed Galtres Stakes at York since, while the fifth was beaten a head when second in another listed race at Salisbury next time out.

SELECTION: AZADA

Next best: Sand Gazelle

4.02 Kildare House Hotel

Nursery Handicap 7f

This race was won by the top-weight last year and Which Wolf Wins can continue that trend for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle. He emerged with credit from finishing seventh of 21 runners in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas last time, and even received a 3lb rise for that four-length defeat. It remains to be seen how deep a race that was, with the runner-up disappointing since, but Amiata finished three lengths behind the selection in ninth then and landed a Navan maiden on Thursday this week. Which Wolf Wins excelled on soft ground at Galway too when landing a bit of a gamble as the well-backed 5/4 favourite.

Invincible Will was second on that occasion at Ballybrit when beaten half a length, and he meets the same rival on better terms now. Instead of trying to give him 1lb last time, Invincible Will now receives 5lb from the likely favourite, though he did have a 3lb claimer aboard at Galway (no claim this time). He also disappointed at Killarney since and has a hood fitted now. Nazario looks likely to appreciate the drop to seven furlongs on the basis of his last couple of solid runs in maidens.

SELECTION: WHICH WOLF WINS

Next best: Invincible Will

4.37 Paddy Power Supporting Cancer Trials Ireland Irish

Cambridgeshire

(Premier Handicap) 1m

Not to cause alarm, but you have to go back as far as the year 2000 to find the last winning favourite of this historic handicap. Even across the last eight renewals, the winners have been sent off 25/1, 20/1, 10/1, 14/1, 28/1, 28/1, 8/1 and 22/1. While there is plenty to like about the early market leaders Godwinson (a lively British challenger for the ever-dangerous William Haggas), State Actor (beaten a head off 2lb lower in this race last year and threatening to win a pot like this for some time) and Genuine Article (coming here with his confidence up after a decisive win at the Galway Festival last time), perhaps searching for a bit of each-way value could be the way to go.

The ground was described as good at declaration time, with the possibility of approximately 15mm to 20mm to come before racing, and juice in the ground would be a big plus to Engines On, who was quoted as the 33/1 outsider of the field after final fields were published. He does need to bounce back from a defeat at Roscommon last time, when never able to get on terms with the front-running winner, but he probably found seven furlongs on good ground around a track like that much too sharp for him. He’s better judged on his comeback win on easy ground at Naas previously. He won in good style from well out of the handicap on the last day of the season last year so clearly likes this track as well, and he gets cheekpieces for the first time now. Keithen Kennedy’s 5lb claim almost offsets the fact he’s 6lb out of the handicap and, at the likely prices, he could be worth considering from an each-way perspective - especially with firms who offer enhanced place terms.

SELECTION: ENGINES ON

Next best: Godwinson

5.12 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Apprentice Handicap 6f

This looks the toughest event to solve on the card. Gordon Bennett is dangerous to overlook now able to compete in this type of grade, but he was safety held in an optional claimer at Dundalk last time and is without a win since September 2022. Keithen Kennedy won this race on a three-year-old last season and a chance is taken on him doing the same again with Night Magic, one of the more unexposed runners in the line-up. She didn’t fully relax in front last time at Naas when beaten a handful of lengths, but a reproduction of her previous third on soft ground at Gowran puts her in the mix - now 2lb lower than then.

Catherine Chroi had an encouraging run early in the season on softer ground and hasn’t always had her preferred conditions through the rest of the campaign. Now 9lb lower than that good effort at Naas in March, she could surprise a few if back on song with rain arriving. Undefeatable and Rosato are last-time-out winners, though several of these have decent recent form.

SELECTION: NIGHT MAGIC

Next best: Catherine Chroi