The metropolitan racegoer has been written off as surplus to requirements if the actions of the fixtures committee for the month of June are to be credited. They scheduled 12 Saturday and Sunday meetings in this period but only one of them was located inside a 25-mile radius of Dublin city centre.
They should learn the lesson that a racegoer disappointed is a racegoer lost, as was shown by the significant drop in attendance following the shutdown occasioned by the foot-and-mouth threat.
Navan will appear relatively close to home when set against Roscommon tomorrow and the two scheduled meetings for next weekend at Down Royal and Gowran Park.
For Michael Kinane it will certainly be a more low-key weekend than the high octane excitement generated for him by Galileo and Imagine at Epsom. However, like a true professional, he treats small and big races alike and if Aidan O'Brien has got Chamela Bay (3.00) back to her two-year-old best, then she would be very hard to contain in the fillies' maiden.
She closed last term with a satisfactory fourth in Leopardstown's Eyrefield Stakes won by Vinnie Roe.
Aunt Aggie, who has a most attractive racing weight of 10-10 in the Kemper Insurance Handicap Hurdle, is napped to take advantage of the 12lb allowance from Hill Society, who had the conditions very much in his favour when cantering in over this course and distance. Edward O'Grady's mare was second to Macabeo at Fairyhouse on her last hurdle run.
Barry Geraghty has another likely winning mount Megamar in the 30-runner Irish Charm Maiden Hurdle. He was amateur ridden when falling at Kilbeggan and prior to that had been third under top weight at Tipperary in a handicap hurdle won by Totheroadyouvgone.
There could be successive winners on the card for the Carberry family. Paul rides Embellished in the novice chase (4-00) and can recoup the course losses incurred when she was beaten by Never More.
Paul's younger brother Philip partners Brierfield Lady, who is trained by their father Tommy and the mare stepped up considerably on past performances when despite getting bogged down in heavy ground at Clonmel in February, still managed to hold on to third place in the handicap hurdle won by Great Melody.
As a punting prospect, Roscommon has the more attractive appeal, with the Kevin Prendergast-trained Okey Dorey a confident nap to bring to an end a losing form sequence that includes four second placings. This daughter of Lake Coniston may find the seven furlongs her ideal distance after losing narrowly to French Smile (a winner last night) at Naas.
Since taking out a trainer's licence Frances Crowley has put together an impressive tally of winners, and Goldenhalo (2-30) may beat the American importation Decisive Action.
Ruby Walsh's best prospect of a winner over the weekend is Berengarius (3-00), while the consistency of Boley Lass (4-00) this season should be rewarded.
