FRENCHFORT Kildysart Lady, now a four-year-old, naturally won’t be back in Ring 1 to defend her Laidlaw Cup title, which leads to an intriguing two-day title race.

The young horse championship will be decided by 11.30am on Friday after the morning’s yearling classes. Thursday kicks off with two-year-olds in the morning (8am) followed by the three-year-olds from mid-afternoon (2.25pm) and by that stage, with the two and three-year-old championships decided, front runners will start to emerge.

Last year’s Laidlaw champion’s full-brother Frenchfort Kildysart Mikie (Chelis HC Z) is amongst the yearling entries. The recent All Ireland yearling reserve at Barryroe will line out in a rematch against the champion: John and Dora Tyner’s Jacko Bay (Vivant van de Heffinck).

Dessie Gibson and Ann Lyons’ Balmoral winners’ Newmarket Black Brimmer (Newmarket Venture) and Greenhall Jolene (Greenhall) are amongst the yearling entries too.

Dublin was always on the cards after Suzanne and Susan Malee’s Carrabeg Devine (Billy Zeus) won at Balmoral. She lines out against other two-year-old fillies, including Rebecca Monahan’s Dermish Not Another (Chacoa) and Aidan and William Williamson’s KLF Wedding Belle (CC Captain Cruise).

The latter is one of several strong contenders for this year’s Traditional Irish Horse championship, which will take place (11am) immediately before the Laidlaw Cup finale.

Kilcahill Ruby (Financial Reward), the Newell family’s home-bred, is another on target for this amongst other titles. An All Ireland foal champion, the reigning Limerick Lady champion recently won the red-hot Brian Boru Young horse championship at Clarecastle.

There, she reversed the All Ireland result at Bannow & Rathangan with John Burchill’s Ballard Highway Lad (Another Pleasure), that day’s champion and he is another strong contender in the three-year-old middle/heavyweight gelding class on Thursday afternoon.

Others in Burchill’s class include several more Bannow-placed finalists such as Trevor Horgan and Kieran Cotter’s Dudley Tom (HHS Cornet), Niamh and Darragh Glynn’s VG Elusive Knight (Elusive Emir), another TIH contender, and Des McDonnell’s Lucky Jim (Conticco), a two-year-old winner her last year.

The following lightweight gelding class is equally promising with Julie Radden’s multi-tasking Lakelands Gucci (HHS Cornet), Regina Daly’s Timpany Tiger Two (Tiger Attack) and Tiernan Gill’s Flogas Tjerrykaat (Poker de Mariposa) all in contention.

Kilcahill Ruby won’t have a walkover in the three-year-old filly class either with the likes of William Little’s My Valley’s Diamond (Vittorio), last year’s two-year-old champon and Balmoral champion.

Eventing legend Lucinda Green and David Ingle have the quite unenviable task of choosing this year’s champions.