Ryan McElligott

2.10 IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF MAIDEN 5F

Moonlight Bay hails from a yard with a fine record in this race and she could be the one to side with. The daughter of Pivotal is an own-sister to a dual two-year-old winner out of a stakes-placed mare and she looks the pick of these on pedigree. Verbitude represents a formidable threat hailing from a yard that has also done very well in this race. This son of Vocalised is out of a mare who has produced several capable winners headed by last season’s listed-winning juvenile Dubai Sand.

Selection: MOONLIGHT BAY

Next best: Verbitude

2.40 WEATHERBYS GSB GOES ONLINE MAIDEN 6F

An encouraging debut over this course and distance on heavy ground last October marks out Invincible Ryker as a likely contender. On his initial outing he was beaten less than 1l into third by the subsequent Group 3-placed Spirit Of Valor and Imagine If who went on to win a Navan maiden several days later. The selection didn’t match that form over 7f next time but his debut run represents a strong piece of form. Alphabet wasn’t at her best on her final start last season but her debut run was a decent effort as was her second to the smart Holy Cat in a Leopardstown maiden last August. She looks a likely contender. Ma Fee Heela is an interesting newcomer as he holds an Irish 2000 Guineas entry. He hails from a middle-distance family and he was a costly breeze-up purchase last June.

Selection: INVINCIBLE RYKER

Next best: Alphabet

3.10 NAAS LAUNCHES 2017 FLAT SEASON HANDICAP 6F

Mizaah showed quite a decent level of form last year and he could be up to making a successful start to his campaign. He started last season with a win in a 6f Curragh maiden on soft ground and went on to run well in some decent handicaps, notably when third to Colour Blue in a 7f premier handicap at Leopardstown last September. Bubbly Bellini won this race last year off a 17lbs higher mark. He will need to improve dramatically on his last effort at Dundalk but his two previous runs were encouraging and he comes into his own on soft ground. He could go well. The former Group 1 winner Maarek has his favoured ground and is taking a notable drop in class. He could feature despite the burden of top weight. Great Minds is interesting as a former winner of this race but he has a year long absence to overcome.

Selection: MIZAAH

Next best: Bubbly Bellini

3.40 PALMERSTOWN HOUSE MADRID HANDICAP 7F

Elusive Beauty could be a major player as she has dropped 5lbs since she first moved into handicaps. The ground is an unknown but she held her own in good company over a variety of trips last year and she has considerable experience to draw upon. Massif Central showed up well on all three of his outings last season and his close third in a valuable auction race on testing ground over this course and distance last October puts him in with every chance. Vociferous Marina stepped forward markedly from her first run to land a 7f Curragh maiden on testing ground last September. The runner-up from that race has won since and the first two finished a long way clear of the others. She does have to contend with top weight but she could have a future outside of handicaps.

Selection: ELUSIVE BEAUTY

Next best: Massif Central

4.10 LODGE PARK STUD EBF PARK EXPRESS STAKES (GROUP 3) 1M

Flying Fairies is chosen in the hope that she can maintain the improvement that she made over the course of last season. She progressed very well throughout 2016 and ended her campaign with a dominant success in the 1m 2f Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown. She has to contend with a shorter trip this time but that isn’t a major concern, while some of her form would suggest that she is well equipped to cope with the ground. Czabo has the benefit of recent run having been to France earlier this month. She is a 1m stakes winner on soft ground and she also ran fourth in last year’s Irish 1000 Guineas. Somehow has a good deal in hand on official ratings and her 7l win in a 1m 1f Curragh Group 3 last August is the standout piece of form on offer. Furthermore, she has winning form on testing ground. Her yard is searching for a first win in this race since 2005.

Selection: FLYING FAIRIES

Next best: Czabo

4.40 TOTE IRISH LINCOLNSHIRE 1M

The much-improved Tithonus can continue where he left off in 2016. This versatile gelding won four handicaps last year between 5f-7f and these included a premier handicap victory over the minimum trip at the Curragh in September. He has previously shown that he can cope with testing ground and the step up to this trip isn’t a concern for a horse who has been placed in maiden hurdles. The lightly raced Sikandarabad makes considerable appeal on just the fifth outing of his career. He was beaten just ½l into second by Sea Wolf in last year’s Irish Cambridgeshire and followed that with a respectable run on Irish Champions Weekend. There should be more to come from him. Aussie Valentine, a runner-up in this race for the last two years, should again be thereabouts. Gentil J is another to keep in mind having won twice on testing ground last autumn, while Stenographer is respected having won a 6f maiden on the opening day of last season.

Selection: TITHONUS

Next best: Sikandarabad

5.10 IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF MAIDEN 1M

Inca Gold showed a good deal of promise on his sole outing last season and he looks more than good enough to make a winning reappearance. On his debut the Galileo colt finished a 3l second to the subsequent Tyros Stakes second Alexios Komnenos in a Curragh maiden, the form of which looks very solid. He has a reasonably lengthy absence to overcome but he may well do so at the expense of the newcomer Torsoun. The latter is a son of Sea The Stars out of a mare who has produced several decent winners headed by the dual listed heroine Tarana. Orderofthegarter looks a lively contender on his two runner-up finishes last year, while Feathery has shown enough to suggest that a maiden is within her reach.

Selection: INCA GOLD

Next best: Torsoun