Weekend Previews:Curtain Call will attempt to secure a first Group One success for both trainer Jessica Harrington and jockey Fran Berry when he lines up in today's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
Along with the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair of Frozen Fire (Jamie Spencer) and King Of Rome (Séamus Heffernan), the Beresford Stakes winner makes up a strong Irish challenge for the final top-flight race of the British flat year. Eight previous Irish-trained runners have won the race including the likes of the subsequent double Derby and Breeders Cup hero High Chaparral in 2001.
Curtain Call broke his maiden when easily landing the Beresford Stakes and is a 3 to 1 favourite in some lists to provide Harrington with a memorable success in what has been a good flat campaign for the Moone trainer.
Harrington will also have an eye on today's home fixture at Naas, where Gemini Lucy will be a warm favourite to land the Grade Three Woodlands Park Poplar Square Chase. The difference fences can make is illustrated with this front-running mare who couldn't win over flights off a 56lb lower hurdles mark last July but who looked better than ever when returning to chasing action at Limerick.
Harrington believes Gemini Lucy is jumping more accurately than she used to in her tearaway novice season and that spells bad news for today's opposition.
Pat Smullen is an eye-catching booking for Coffee Tea Or Me in tomorrow's opening juvenile race at Galway since he will have to catch a flight from America having ridden All My Loving in the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare. On the evidence of an encouraging debut behind Achill Island at Tipperary, the transatlantic dash may prove worthwhile.
Galway's feature is the Grade Three Hartmann Jewellers Ballybrit Chase where the Pierse Hurdle winner Spring The Que faces a stiff task on his fencing debut against Drunken Disorderly who returned to action after a long lay-off in impressive style at Listowel and that experience could prove crucial.
Heavy fog forced the abandonment of the floodlit meeting at Dundalk last night without a race being run. The runners were down at the start for the 6.45pm contest but the riders returned to the weighing room soon after. After another inspection at 7.45pm the decision was taken to abandon.
