THE Irish Derby Festival begins at the Curragh this evening and the highlight on the card is possibly the €50,000 ‘Ragusa’ Handicap.
Michael Halford has taken two of the last three renewals of this 12-furlong premier handicap and last year’s winner Shadagann is back for more. He has blinkers applied for the first time after struggling here behind Repeater and, more recently, over hurdles at Punchestown.
William Haggas sends Dawn Missile over from his Newmarket base but, like the Dermot Weld-trained Time To Inspire, he is seeing racecourse action for the first time in 2016.
Pat Smullen partners Dawn Missile while Weld uses Leigh Roche on Time To Inspire. Punters will appreciate the steer.
Willie Mullins runs his good hurdler, the 149-rated Renneti, on the level for the first time since finishing a close fourth in last year’s Cesarewitch at Newmarket, whereas Highly Toxic makes a relatively swift reappearance after his good second to Weld’s Alveena in the Cork Derby.
I respect the chances of Renneti and Dawn Missile but John Oxx’s Avenante, not disgraced in Pretty Perfect’s Cork race, also strong merits consideration.
The Major General has had even less time to recover from his latest exertions – he was fourth, beaten eight-and-three-quarter lengths, behind Primitivo in the King George V Handicap – but Aidan O’Brien is happy to let him top the weights in the shorter three-year-old handicap here.
In Embiyra and Alishan, he has a couple of once-raced winners in the Aga Khan colours to take on, with Jim Bolger’s hat-trick seeker Qatari Hunter rating as the other major player.
Bolger throws two darts at the Apprentice Derby, and the less exposed of his pair is the three-year-old Fiuntach, with the list headed by last year’s winner Jocular.
The three year-olds seem to be well treated at the weights with Arya Tara, Bridgets Fable and Lex Talioness having similar chances to Fiuntach.
Making Shapes is an interesting runner for Charles Byrnes and this 20-length Cork hurdle winner in early May commands some respect. He was owned by Qatar Racing and rated as high as 77 last season when he won a Newcastle maiden.
O’Brien has used the opening two-year-old fillies’ maiden as the starting point for some good prospects in recent years and this time his choicely-bred newcomers Bound and Rhododendron take on stablemate Butterflies, who was third at Leopardstown on debut.
Rhododendron may have Quick Chat and Mur Hiba to beat.
Saafaar wasn’t far behind The Major General at the Curragh and sets the standard in the mile maiden, but he has disappointed so many times and Almanaara and Reckless Gold both appeal as alternatives to him.
In Salutem attempts to confirm his Navan superiority over Russian Soul and Togoville in the sprint handicap. But Russian Soul can turn the tables in a tough contest to solve.
I Will Excel and Strategic Force are two with chances at the bottom of the handicap, especially I Will Excel after his good fourth to Aspar at Naas on Wednesday night.
