AFTER THEIR slow start to the season, the Dermot Weld-Mick Kinane partnership are now powering into top form and they can continue their impetus when Mukarrab goes in this evening's Beltra Maiden at Sligo.

Mukarrab is hardly one of the leading lights at Weld's Rosewell House yard, but then this six-furlong contest will hardly be one of the leading maidens run this year and Mukarrab's credentials look good enough.

Well beaten behind the smart Mingling Glances at Cork last month, he had previously run fourth to Bint Alsarab on soft ground at Killarney. That ability to act with give in the ground will serve Mukarrab well tonight and the step back to six furlongs from a mile should also be in his favour.

It should certainly inconvenience the son of champion sprinter Dayjur less than his probable main rival, Derringer, whose only run was a reasonable fifth to Mukarrab's stablemate Celebrity Style over nine furlongs at the Curragh.

Weld and Kinane are also represented in the Rosses Point Maiden for two year olds, but Princely Spark may have to take a back seat behind Crown Point.

John Murtagh's mount has had two races so far, making his debut in the maiden won by King Of Kings at the Curragh. Crown Point followed that up with a third at Roscommon, where he only relinquished the lead to Retention in the closing stages of a seven-furlong contest.

The slight return in this distance could also be in Crown Point's favour and be may be a better bet than the Aidan O'Brien representative, Boat Strand.

Hardly surprisingly though, O'Brien looks unlikely to leave the western track empty handed. It has to be said is his runner in the bumper and this four year old should have learned enough from his last race to follow up successfully here.

That last effort was at Clonmel 10 days ago when he was blocked for room at a vital time and only saw daylight well inside the final furlong. It has to be said was only third with a 100 yards to go but quickened up well to touch off Mr Cavallo by a head. The Ballinrobe winner Darsarak will make It has to be said work for victory but It has to be said may be better than the bare Clonmel form might suggest.

That theory will have been tested earlier in the Ben Bulben Handicap Hurdle as Mr Cavallo takes his chance in this instead of in the maiden hurdle.

This horse was a very costly failure in a maiden hurdle at Downpatrick last month when backed to the exclusion of almost everything else only to be eventually beaten by Bit O'Speed. He was also backed at Clonmel so he owes connections, but the booking of Charlie Swan for the ride suggests they haven't lost confidence.

La Greine has been a consistent performer in handicap chases for the last couple of seasons and the form of his last race at Downpatrick gives him an obvious chance in the Reilly Mitsubishi Connaught National Chase.

Fabriano, who has been running on the flat recently, can score for Michael Halford and Conor O'Dwyer in the opening maiden hurdle.