As if the fourth day of the Tralee festival isn't enough for the racing public's already bloated gullet, the race planners also feel the need to give us a Kilbeggan meeting to tuck into this evening. Nevertheless the focus will be on the south and a renewal of old rivalries in the Carlsberg Ruby Stakes.
Dermot Weld and Jim Bolger dominated the mile Listed race in the 1990s with three winners apiece and usually to a pattern. When Weld won in 1991 with Committed Dancer, Bolger won the next year with Thyer. The same happened in 1994-95 and for the last two years also.
Weld's 1999 winner Free To Speak reappears again along with the dark horse Colourful Cast. Weld holds the advantage numerically but Tushna can emulate Lil's Boy (1998) and land the race for Bolger and rider Kevin Manning.
Tushna has already sampled black type success when a game winner of the McDonogh at Galway and only gave way to Soorah in the closing stages when attempting a Ballybrit follow up over seven furlongs. The return to a mile on softish ground should suit him.
Dangers abound with the likes of Rush Brook and Cobourg Lodge in opposition but the most dangerous of all could be Colourful Cast whose easy Leopardstown defeat of Shayadi was boosted on Monday. If the Nashwan filly goes on the ground she could be dangerous but Tushna is preferred.
Bolger and Manning can also hit the scoresheet with Alfina who got home by a head from Warrior Wings at the Curragh on Sunday and whose stamina can be exploited over the mile of the Premier Nursery.
Sparkling Gold followed a Cork victory in the spring with an excellent second to Bally Amber at Punchestown. John Kiely's horse looks a sure fire hurdles winner and can prove that point first time up in the Smirnoff Maiden Hurdle.
At Kilbeggan there would be no more deserving winner than Jumbo Beauty in the first race as this one was thrown out of first, after an easy course win last time out, for weighing in a fraction light.
The midlands feature is the £11,000 Ireland's Own Handicap Hurdle which can provide compensation for Blow Wind Blow who ran a fine third to Drewstown Lady and Wednesday's Tralee winner Gift Token at the Galway festival.
Rare Harvest avoids the relatively nearby Tralee meeting and instead makes the journey from Cork for the opportunity chase. The trip can prove worthwhile.
