CLAIRE Oliver, whose late husband Robert produced multiple Irish-bred show champions, is a natural fit for Saturday morning’s Coote Cup classes and her co-judge is Robin Sharp, another experienced UK judge.

Dublin has bucked the trend for sparse broodmare class entries experienced so far this summer, bolstered too by several of The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship qualifiers hoping to double up the following day. Sponsored by Plusvital, the broodmare and foal classes are also supported by Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Roche family from Foulksmills, Co Wexford made it eight Coote Cup (broodmare championship) titles last year and their 2024 champion Assagart Fairytale (Coroner) is back in her bid for a triple crown.

Aileen Dwyer’s Vanity Fare (Robin Des Pres) won last year’s stinted mare class and stood reserve to Assagart Fairytale. Now with a Ludden Skywalker filly foal at foot, she is also returning to Ring 1.

Other contenders? Some of the Breeders’ Championship finalists are likely to line out again as Dessie Gibson’s Drumbo Bluebell (Silvano), Ruth Keane’s Oilily (Entertainer), Liz Murphy and Micheal Hennigan’s Cappulcorragh Quality (O.B.O.S Quality 004) and John Roche’s Assagart Velvet (Colin Diamond) will also contest the opening middle/heavyweight mare class.

In the following lightweight mare class, other Breeders’ Championship contenders likey to be entered are Valerie Davis’s Becca Baby (O.B.O.S Quality 004), Richard Drohan’s Golden Moments (Golden Master), Patrick Finn’s Penelope (Jardonnay VDL), Eileen, James and David Furlong’s Bonnie (Foxglen Cruise Control), Liam Lynskey’s CSF Fevertree (Glasgow van’t Merelsnest), Jonathan McDonnell and Sonja Ochadlik’s Emzo (Voss) and Martin Murphy’s Castlegate Sweet Emotion (Mermus R).

PJ Glynn is prepping both his and wife Majella’s Crannaghmore Pearl (Near Dock) and newlyweds Niamh and Darragh Glynn’s Crannaghmore Elusive Lady (Elusive Emir) who return from their South African honeymoon in time for Dublin (see Croker Cup preview).

Gemma Conlon’s Lisbrogan Grace (Tyson), bred by her late brother Thomas, is a former Horse Sport Ireland foal champion at Cavan and she is another for the lightweight class.

The stinted mare class is always a tough one to win at Dublin and this year is no exception. Heading for this class is John McDonnell’s CBI Ice Queen (Baltic VDL), last year’s winning mare in The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship.

Other previous Dublin winners are likely to include Paula Howard’s Tullabeg Hello (Hiello), Des and Margaret Jeffares’ Ballykelly Eva (O.B.O.S Quality 004), Liam Lynskey’s DS Bounce With Me Baby (Moylough Bouncer) and John Walsh’s Gatsbys Girl (Darsi).

Other strong winners so far this season include Loretta Hanley’s Be In The Moment Elm (Barely A Moment) and Mary T. Murphy’s Barnaview Dancing Queen (Singing N’Dancing). Sandwiched between the three mare classes are three foal classes: colt, filly and then the class for a foal with a thoroughbred parent with its jackpot first prize of €3,000 (Edel Curtin’s Centennial filly is another in the ribbons this year). Dublin still lacks an overall foal championship.

The broodmare classes begin at 9.15am on Saturday morning and the finale is the Coote Cup broodmare championship. This year’s champion and reserve will take their place in Sunday’s pre-Grand Prix parade of champions.