With the Mayo footballers having overturned the All-Ireland champions Galway at the weekend, it is now the turn of Ballinrobe, the only racecourse in the county, to put one over on higher profile racecourse executives in the matter of putting together an imaginative mix of flat races.

It is always a problem to cater for the lower grade of performer, of whom this year there are more than ever, and in recent weeks we have had a plethora of dull handicaps.

Ballinrobe, however, have replaced them with a 0-65 weight-for-age Rated Race and a Claiming event confined to horses that that have not won more than one claimer in the last 12 months.

Both events offer opportunities for those horses whose trainers think they are harshly handicapped.

Tommy Stack can win the Claiming Race with Criollo who has been well beaten in handicaps since winning her maiden over this course and distance in May, while Donie Hassett can strike with the previously David Wachman-trained Grianan Realta in the Rated Race.

She was placed last year behind Royal Tern at Cork and this year behind King's Ego at Tipperary.

Pat Smullen rides the day's nap choice Huangdi (6-0) and he may also be on the mark half an hour later with his only other mount Ryan's Brief.

Huangdi was close up from halfway at the Curragh Derby meeting when third to Alex Ferguson's first Irish winner Heritage Hall.

Ryan's Brief was backed down to odds-on when he last visited Ballinrobe and he looked set for an easy victory when he went into a clear lead approaching the turn for home. Even halfway up the straight, his supporters were counting their winnings and calculating their tax but in the last 100 yards he was challenged and finally beaten a short-head and a neck by Marlene-D and Star Troo per.