THE flat season is beginning to warm up with some international races of note and the Curragh set to stage Ireland’s first turf meeting in just three weeks’ time. There are some significant blacktype races due to be staged over the next five days, with the likes of Cirrus Des Aigles and Breeders’ Cup third place finisher, Queen’s Jewel, entered for the Prix Darshaan in France and Solow in the Prix Montjeu at Chantilly.

Qatar hosts a $1 million local Group 1 race today, with English-trained horses to the forefront of the market. Richard Hannon sends out the locally-owned Tashaar with Frankie Dettori on board. Dettori is seeking a hat-trick in this race for both himself and owners Al Shaqab, having captured the past two renewals of the race with Dubday, despite being very badly drawn in stall 16 last year.

The Qatari authorities certainly cannot be accused of favouritism with Tashaar set to emerge from 15 this year.

LIKELY VICTORY

However, if Brian Meehan has brought a fully fit Agent Murphy into battle, he should emerge victorious under Jim Crowley. Meehan has proven very adept when it comes to travelling his horses for big race wins, having recorded victories at the highest level in Longchamp, Deauville, Munich, Belmont Park (twice) and Meydan, as well as two Breeders’ Cup wins. Agent Murphy’s best win came on good-to-soft ground in last season’s Geoffrey Freer, but the son of Cape Cross comes from a fast ground pedigree and so should be just as effective on today’s faster underfoot conditions.

Over at Lingfield, just half an hour later, William Haggas takes the wraps off one of last years’ sprinting stars in the form of Muthmir. The dual-Group 2 winner was last seen when finishing a good third in the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp and this listed race looks well within his compass. As the only Group 2 winner in the field, he must concede a 7lb penalty as per race conditions, but over this trip, it will be surprising if that proves enough to inconvenience the son of Invincible Spirit who makes plenty of appeal at 5/2.

Elsewhere on the Lingfield card, John Gosden unleashes a fascinating contender for the feature Group 3 Winter Derby, in the shape of three-time South American Group 1 winner, Fruia Cruzada. In her favour are two top level wins in Argentina, in addition to one in her native Chile, but against her is the fact that she is having her first start in almost 10 months and indeed her first ever in Britain.

She is likely to find things very different at Lingfield, but having been assessed by the British handicappers, she has been allocated an official mark of 110. Should their analysis prove accurate and she runs to that sort of level today, Fruia Cruzada has to have an each way chance at the very least.