RACING: Ireland's fascination with the English Premiership takes another twist at Leopardstown this evening with six of the seven races having a football theme that appears to principally consist of the jockeys carrying the colours of the 20 clubs in England's top division.
Under the banner of the Mastercard Football Furlong, this venture first took place at Haydock in July of 2004 with a league points system producing a winner of the "coveted Football Furlong Trophy". Whether this idea will be enough to have football fans streaming through the gates remains to be seen but from a purely racing point of view the main impact is that the six races devoted to it will all be 10-runner handicaps.
"There was a crowd of 5,600 for the meeting last year and we would certainly hope for an increase on that," said the Leopardstown spokesperson Ruth Chamberlain yesterday. "We have contacted all of the supporters clubs in Ireland and had a very positive response."
The half-time orange in all of this will be the Brownstown Stakes in which eight fillies, half from the classic generation, take each other on for the coveted Group Three black type.
Dermot Weld is in Los Angeles supervising Sweet Firebird's preparation for tomorrow night's $750,00 American Oaks, in which David Wachman's Irish Guineas third Luas Line and Silk And Scarlet from Aidan O'Brien's yard also take part, but he runs both Misty Heights and Alexander Icequeen in the home feature.
Alexander Icequeen looks the best option on the back of her last start when she was a running on second to La Cucaracha in a six furlong race here. As a seven furlong winner it was no surprise to see her finishing well and this evening's distance looks ideal.
Beautyhandthebeast has tasted defeat only once and comes here on the back a win in a handicap at York. But this is another level again and Alexander Icequeen looks a safer bet.
It could be a very good Saturday night indeed for Weld as there will be plenty willing to queue to get on Zeroberto in the concluding handicap following a very unlucky run at the Curragh last weekend.
The five-year-old was repeatedly hampered in securing a run up the straight yet still only just failed to overhaul Anxious Moments in the closing stages. Zeroberto has been hiked 4lb higher in the ratings since then but despite that, and the drop down from two miles, he still looks one to keep on the right side of.
The Irish international midfielder Matt Holland is due at Leopardstown, which will be directly accessible from the M50 for the first time, for the opening race which is named after him and he could end up presenting first prize to the connections of Morning Glow. This one is on hat-trick following wins at Limerick and Clonmel and a 7lb hike in the weights doesn't look enough to stop the hot-streak.
Morning Glow's stable companion Luna Tacumana has blinkers on for only the second time in the second 10-furlong handicap and there might be more to come after a third to Hanicor at Tipperary last time.
The big attraction at Limerick this evening will be the British and Irish jump jockeys challenge which will feature some of the biggest names on either side of the Irish Sea.
However, Dermot Weld's long arm can still be felt here too as he gives the bang in form Amid The Chaos another start in the concluding amateur race. Amid The Chaos won well at Naas last time and his experience could be the key against the unbeaten bumper horse Charyan who Christy Roche has described as the best he has trained since Like-A-butterfly.
Another one to keep on the right side of is the locally trained Euro Flyer who bolted up at Ballinrobe on his last start and has only a 6lb penalty for the two mile handicap hurdle.
