A bumper bank holiday weekend of racing kicks off at Leopardstown this afternoon and it could be that the most valuable contest of the day, the £15,000 Premier Nursery, provides the best value bet in the shape of Michael Grassick's Lets Clic Together.
This has been the Curragh trainer's best season with 23 winners putting him fifth in the table behind Aidan O'Brien, John Oxx, Dermot Weld and Jim Bolger. Such a profitable year has also paid off in spades for Grassick's protege, the champion apprentice elect, Eddie Ahern, who has passed the post first on 35 occasions, and there is no reason to believe the combination's winning touch has cooled.
There is certainly reason to believe that Lets Clic Together's winning touch hasn't ended as she could be well handicapped on 8st 3lb in today's contest.
Although she won at Down Royal last month, beating City Imp by half a length, Lets Clic Together looks to be better than that bare form might suggest.
The fast ground that day didn't suit the filly and contributed to her drifting in the market from odds-on. Far more significant could be Lets Clic Together's previous effort when running the subsequent National Stakes fifth, Magical Minty, to a length at Galway where she was eating up the ground close home over a mile after carrying 3lbs more than she had to.
It would be dangerous to read too much into Magical Minty's subsequent Group 1 effort but it was still a fine run by Lets Clic Together and it showed that a fast run mile on decent ground will be ideal. She should get that today.
Another trainer currently in form is Pat Flynn and he can keep his momentum going with his stable stalwart Gers Royale in the Crofton Race. The six-year-old hasn't run since late June but, at his best, he is quite well in here and is preferred to the consistent Azra.
Declan McDonagh takes 6lbs off Rare Unity's already featherweight in the JRA Handicap which could turn out to be very significant and Fergie Sutherland's impressive Cork winner Follow The Leader is preferred to Unarmed in the bumper.
Michael Grassick could also be on the mark at the day's other meeting in Down Royal where another talented apprentice Francis Berry takes the mount on Tanzania in the Her Majasty's Plate Race. Munif is set to give Tanza- nia, a Wexford maiden winner, almost 3st which looks a very tall order.
Berry could secure a double of his own courtesy of Loughmogue in the Musselburgh Handicap. This one was third to Just Like Annie at Naas on Wednesday but Berry weighed in 2lbs over and was promptly slapped with a sixday ban. Loughmogue could successfully soften that blow now.
The turnstiles at the Leopardstown Road end of Leopardstown will not be in use today or Monday due to development works. Patrons are requested to use the stiles at the Ballyogan end.
