Champion jockey Pat Smullen is already boasting a 33 per cent winning average this season, something the more mathematically-minded among 10,000 third-level students due to attend Leopardstown's first flat-fixture of 2016 are likely to pounce on.
The track’s student-raceday is in its fifth year and the maximum 10,000 tickets on offer for an event designed to “introduce new racegoers principally from the 18-34 demographic to the sport” were sold out on Monday.
The feature event on the track will be the Listed €55,000 Noblesse Stakes which sees Smullen on board the topweight and likely favourite, Zannda, while another familiar name will be Kieren Fallon who is still seeking a first winner in his new job for Michael O'Callaghan.
Four rides
Fallon’s Noblesse mount, Hot Sauce, is one of four rides the former British champion jockey has on the card but Smullen has a full book of seven as he continues to build on a hot start to the new campaign.
The eight-times Irish champion has already notched 10 winners from 30 rides, mostly for Dermot Weld, and the Curragh's 'old-firm' should enjoy another productive session today. Zannda has to carry a penalty for her Group Three Give Thanks success last year but she is proven on all types of ground and has always looked a type to progress again from three to four.
Love In The Sun overcame near unraceable ground to win at Cork and should appreciate better going, and an extra quarter mile, in the ten furlong handicap while Shamreen should also be a major player for the Smullen-Weld team in a fascinating fillies maiden.
Somehow is one of a trio of Aidan O’Brien hopefuls for a race with the potential to throw up a very good horse for later in the season. Shamreen was 25-1 on her Curragh debut on Day 1 of the season but ran noticeably well to be third to her stable companion, Embiran.
There are three Ballydoyle hopefuls in the opening mile maiden too with Seamus Heffernan on a newcomer, The Gurkha. Heffernan was on board Claudio Monteverdi when that one was fourth in Embiran's race and the trainer's son, Donnacha, could successfully steer Lush Lashes' full-brother this time.
Newberry New blossomed over jumps during the winter and looks worthy of close examination off a mark of 68 on soft ground.
First success
The focus will return to the jumps tomorrow when Liverpool’s Grand National meeting gets underway with the Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power a heavy odds-on favourite to give
Willie Mullins
a first success in the Aintree Hurdle.
Mullins is sending many of his big guns to Liverpool this week as part of his attempt to land the British trainers title and both Djakadam and Don Poli, second and third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, will tackle Cue Card in the Aintree Bowl on Thursday.
