Racing: Paul Carberry and Noel Meade will be crowned champions on the final day of the 2002/03 season at Punchestown this afternoon
It's an anti-climatic finale, coming as it does on the back of a four-day festival, and rather defeats the purpose of those who are wanting to make the championships a more newsworthy event.
However, that will hardly matter to the table toppers. Carberry is the leading jockey for the second time in a row with 106 winners, while Meade's total of 74 puts him well clear of Michael Hourigan in second.
Christy Roche was next in the table and the Curragh trainer could well see out the season with a bang courtesy of Catalpa Cargo.
Runner-up to Khetaam last time out, Catalpa Cargo is a Gowran bumper winner on testing conditions and is taken to beat Tell Me See in the RFL Steel Hurdle.
Dermot Weld's classic focus will be on Newmarket today but Miss Nashwan can book her ticket for the Oaks d'Italia at Navan tomorrow where the Listed Salsabil Stakes is being run.
The €70,000 pot has attracted 10 horses, including In The Limelight and Shangri La from Ballydoyle, but there is no disguising the regard Weld has for Miss Nashwan.
A winner in Rome as a two-year-old, Miss Nashwan ran a very encouraging seasonal debut behind Wrong Key at the Curragh and the 10 furlong trip today should be right up her alley.
The ground turning to testing should be much more suitable for Camargue than when the horse ran disappointingly at Leopardstown while Dutch Harrier's sixth to Beef Or Salmon at the Curragh is encouraging in the context of the Family Day Race.
Gowran has its Glanbia classic trial to race tomorrow and Yesterday's chances in the 1,000 Guineas could get a boost from the Kevin Prendergast-trained Eklim.
The colt was four lengths off the O'Brien filly last time out but will be okay on the soft ground and that can give him the edge on the Leopardstown scorer Roosevelt.
Storm Boxer didn't cut much ice behind Royal Rosa at Punchestown during the week but the Paddy Mullins horse could make a return to winning ways in the bumper.
