THE attendance figures which Naas's 6.0 p.m. start attracts will be interesting and for those that do go, Spirit Of Tara looks the sort of proposition to make the journey worthwhile.

The Michael Grassick-trained filly is bred in the absolute purple being by Sadlers Wells out of Flame Of Tara, and she showed on her debut at the Curragh that can also run a bit.

Spirit Of Tara wasn't knocked about by Kevin Manning when it became clear she was unable to deal with the highly-rated Aliya but she still finished seven lengths clear of the third horse Hamamelis.

Improvement can be expected from that debut and, with Grassick holding quite a high opinion of her, Spirit Of Tara is the selection to beat off some well-bred newcomers from the John Oxx and Dermot Weld stables.

Weld, whose Kris Green runs in the Austrian Derby tomorrow, will, no doubt, fancy his chances with the well-bred Act Of Defiance in the Tend-R-Leen Horse Feeds Race, but soft ground could well catch this colt out and the Cork winner Eternal Joy is just preferred.

Act Of Defiance, on the ratings, looks the best prospect this evening but, being by Caerleon out of Trusted Partner, his pedigree seems to suggest he needs a sound surface. In contrast, Eternal Joy has run reasonably on give-in-the-ground already this season and he can continue the golden run of Aidan O'Brien and Christy Roche.

That partnership could well have already taken the opening maiden with Mempari who wasn't disgraced when finding the smart Attractive Crown too quick in the final furlong of her debut at Leopardstown.

The Carrick-on-Suir-based trainer David Wachman saw his Clewbay Pearl scoot away from her field at Cork last weekend and she can build on that good impression in the Owenstown Stud Race where she can reverse earlier Gowran form with Commander Baker.

Maytpleasethecourt, a winner on softish going at the Curragh at the start of the season, can at least be relied upon to act on tonight's surface and is the marginally preferred runner in the Sherlockstown Handicap, while John Berry's Strong Edition can make it third time lucky in the concluding bumper where trainer Berry also takes the ride.