2.05 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle 2m

Cork summer bumper winner Salshina ran with credit when fourth in a mares’ maiden hurdle at the Navan Racing Festival before earning blacktype with a third in the Listed Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle at Thurles before Christmas. Off the track since then, she ought to come here a fresh mare - and the fifth and sixth right behind her at Navan have been good enough to win mares’ maiden hurdles since.

Cool Native, who had the experience of four point-to-point runs to call on, finished a length and a quarter in front of Salshina at Navan, but hasn’t been seen since. She remains a mare of promise, though her absence suggests she mightn’t have had an entirely smooth run since then. Simply Natural, Alliteration and Jo’s Secret have a race sharpness edge after their last-time-out seconds, while Jack Kennedy’s preference for Cool Native isn’t exactly a positive for stablemate Poetic Twist, runner-up to a ready winner in an Ayr bumper in February.

SELECTION: SALSHINA

Next best: Cool Native

2.40 BoyleSports Mares

Handicap Chase (Listed) 2m 5f

This race has been won by mares with low weights in the last two years (both won carrying 9st 9lb when factoring in rider claims) and the presence of 142-rated Bioluminescence means five of her 10 rivals are running from out of the handicap. The top-weight, and the same owner’s Ballybawn Belter, are high on the shortlist, but preference is for Mystical Goddess (10st 7lb), who made a pleasing comeback when third at Limerick last time after a break. She’ll be fine on the ground and bumped into two well-handicapped mares, True Testimony and recent Grade 3 winner Uhavemeinstitches, when third in a similar event here in November. The addition of cheekpieces for the first time might eke out a little more from her.

Kiltealy Park, winner of this race 12 months ago, also has the same headgear applied freshly today. She’s only 4lb higher now and, after weakening over three miles last time at Leopardstown, should appreciate getting back to her best trip. Kilbarry Saint’s confidence is up from a recent win, while May Call You Back would be a stronger fancy but for racing from 4lb out of the handicap.

SELECTION: MYSTICAL GODDESS

Next best: Kiltealy Park

3.15 Blackrock College AFC Ladies National Handicap Chase 2m 5f

Maxine O’Sullivan was seen to great effect when winning this race on Read To Return last year and Harbour Highway has solid claims of providing her with back-to-back victories. A qualified riders’ chase winner at Leopardstown under her cousin Alan O’Sullivan last time, he only won by half a length then, but went through the race as if he had a bit more to offer (hence the handicapper raising him 6lb). He mightn’t be finished with yet off a rating of 110.

Leopardstown runner-up Lisleigh Lad is entitled to show up well off 3lb higher, while Jody Townend is a positive booking for Kings Hill, who might show better again at this longer trip than which he won over last time (left clear when main rival fell two out).

SELECTION: HARBOUR HIGHWAY

Next best: Kings Hill

3.50 Tom Quinlan Electrical Maiden Hurdle 2m 4f

Despite coming with some health warnings, currently 0-5 over hurdles and a beaten favourite on three of those starts, He Can’t Dance’s ability should be enough to get him over the line in a winnable-looking race. His latest third in a competitive Dublin Racing Festival handicap hurdle came in first-time cheekpieces, now replaced by blinkers, and the form of his previous maiden hurdle third at Navan has been franked by the runner-up, fourth, fifth and sixth winning since.

Petit Secret looked a high-class prospect when winning a bumper at the Winter Festival here in 2023, though his absence of 820 days before returning at Leopardstown last month suggests he has had a most troubled time in the interim. He didn’t set the world alight on his comeback, beaten nine and a half lengths in third as 5/6 favourite, though he’d have been fully entitled to need the run and looked a shade short of pace at two miles. Getting up to two and a half miles should help. Largy Star, Minella Diamond, Treasure Memory, Sine Qua Non and Barnpark all look capable of winning maiden hurdles in due course.

SELECTION: HE CAN’T DANCE

Next best: Petit Secret

4.25 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final (Listed) 3m

An extremely tricky €50,000 pot to solve, with a host of horses trying a new trip, many unexposed and others coming towards the end of long seasons. A total of 15 of the 21 have won on either of the last two starts, and the only horse who collected on both was Blow Wind Blow, - albeit he wasn’t missed with an 11lb hike for winning here six weeks ago. However, he probably won over a shade shorter than his best trip there and could find more progression for trying this longer trip (based on how he races, rather than his pedigree). Drier ground than the last twice is a slight concern, but he is clearly going the right way.

Josh Williamson’s 5lb claim is a good asset to top-weight Winning Smut, who has been highly progressive and brings a battle-hardened profile to the table. Whether he’ll want the rain is the query, and he’s back from a 161-day break. Star Of The Week is massively up in trip but has a lot of upside to him, while similar comments could apply to the dangerous Vitorio Piel. In truth, cases could be made for any number of these.

SELECTION: BLOW WIND BLOW

Next best: Star Of The Week

5.00 RYBO Handicap Hurdle (Listed) 2m

Mark Walsh isn’t often too far away when getting down to low weights for big handicaps. For example, this season, he was beaten in a photo for the Thyestes at 10st 5lb and third in the Leopardstown Chase when doing 10st 4lb for Waterford Whispers. His two wins in the last four runnings of this race have come at 10st 3lb and 10st 7lb. Davy Crockett probably struggled on heavy winter ground the last twice and could be a different proposition in drier conditions now - and switched out of graded novice company and into a handicap off 10st 5lb. Annie Power’s son showed an engine on sounder surfaces at Punchestown, Galway and Listowel last year, and would have needed those last two runs to qualify for handicaps like this.

County Hurdle sixth Karbau probably didn’t get the rub of the green with how the race unfolded at Cheltenham last time and can still be a player off 149, albeit he gives lots of weight away here and it’s only 22 days since the Festival. Murcia didn’t fully spark in the County and might bounce back if building on her previous DRF fourth, while Hello Neighbour might have got too far back in the same race. Bokamsin relished positive tactics when winning last time and might be a later-developing novice.

SELECTION: DAVY CROCKETT

Next best: Karbau

5.35 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Total Enjoyment Mares INH Flat Race (Listed) 2m

Difficult to view this as a vintage renewal on paper and, after tiring into a still creditable sixth under a positive ride at the Dublin Racing Festival last time, Lilannbee is a strong contender - provided she’s not feeling the effects of a long enough season. The form of her Punchestown win on New Year’s Eve has taken a couple of knocks, but it was a likeable display from her on that occasion.

Lizzie Twigg has considerably less experience and makes a relatively quick reappearance after winning on her bumper debut at Down Royal on St Patrick’s Day. She looks promising, though much more will be learned about her here. Wonderful Everyday’s Punchestown Festival-winning form from last season is the best on offer, but her poor showings this term make her hard to have confidence in.

SELECTION: LILANNBEE

Next best: Lizzie Twigg