THEY’RE off. The turf season in Ireland and Britain swings into action this weekend. The French are a little ahead of us, and they staged the first juvenile race of the year in Europe this week.

That was the Prix du Premier Pas at Lyon Parilly and it was won by Con and Theresa Marnane’s Bottle Of Bubbles, a daughter of Cotai Glory. The Tally-Ho stallion had a brilliant start last year, and now attention turns to sires with their first runners, a couple of whom have representatives at Doncaster and the Curragh this weekend.