CASUAL CONQUEST might be the best horse on show at Leopardstown this evening when he has a scheduled pre-Derby work-out after racing, but the competitive black type that is floating around before that can be picked up by Hasanka.
Remarkably ground conditions at Leopardstown look sure to be fast as once again the track escaped the worst of the widespread rain that hit the region yesterday.
"We got only 3mms on Monday night and it has been on and off here since then. We are continuing to put some water on as it has been very firm here. We would hope to get it to something like good to firm," said Leopardstown's manager Tom Burke yesterday.
That should provide the Dermot Weld team with some valuable clues about Casual Conquest's Epsom credentials but the going also won't be a problem for the versatile Hasanka in the Listed Séamus and Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes.
Eight line up for the mile-and-six event which might not have stars of the calibre of the last three winners - Yeats, Media Puzzle and Vinnie Roe - but Hasanka looks capable of providing John Oxx with a first win in the race since Enzeli in 1999.
Hasanka steps up half a mile from the Curragh when she was on the heels of Regime in a Group Three but that also should be no problem since she already has form at tonight's trip.
On Curragh form from last August, she has a couple of lengths to make up on Red Moloney but Hasanka looks likely to be more at home on the ground conditions and should also have come on for her seasonal debut.
It could be a good evening all round for the Oxx-Kinane team as the regally-bred Timari should show significant improvement from his Gowran debut where he eventually finished seventh. There should be more to come from Timarida's son in this evening's mile maiden while Oxx should land the maiden (7f) with Arazan.
