CURRAGH PREVIEW:JOHNNY MURTAGH endured a frustrating afternoon at Leopardstown last Sunday but the Group Three action at the Curragh tomorrow should prove much more enjoyable for the former champion jockey with US Ranger looking to dominate the feature event.

A total of nine runners will line up for the Castlemartin and La Louviere Gladness Stakes and while strictly on figures there isn't any evidence of dominance by US Ranger those stats don't appear to tell the full story.

Aidan O'Brien only took possession of the strapping son of Dazing half way through last season after US Ranger built up quite a reputation in France.

An unbeaten run there ended with a seventh in the Newmarket Guineas after which US Ranger finished runner-up in the Jersey at Royal Ascot. For O'Brien he regained winning ways in a Group Three over six furlongs at the Curragh and his only subsequent start, when fourth in the Foret at Longchamp, can be excused since it came just six days afterwards.

There remains the suspicion that US Ranger is a Group One horse in waiting, although that's a theory that will need at least a good performance tomorrow to be sustained.

Murtagh rides him in preference to Honoured Guest who hasn't been seen since finishing third in last year's French 2,000 Guineas and those thinking of opposing US Ranger on the grounds of stamina would do well to remember he won his first three starts in France over a mile on soft ground.

A trio of British raiders don't look to have anything like the profile of the main home hope who could end up adding to a Murtagh-O'Brien double after the earlier debut of the Sadler's Wells filly Queen Of The Night.

Murtagh will be on board the one-time Derby favourite Macarthur in the Listed Ascon Rohcon Alleged Stakes which in the last three years has thrown up winners as diverse as Dylan Thomas and Sublimity.

Reported muscle problems last year didn't help Macarthur's progress although he did end up running third in the Voltigeur at York in August.

Preference is for Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty who followed up an easy Naas maiden win last year with a fifth to Peeping Fawn in the Irish Oaks. Testing conditions will be no problem to the Moyglare-owned filly who looked a type to improve for another season.

The day's other black type event, the Loughbrown Stakes, looks altogether more tricky with Georgebernardshaw attempting to continue his progress up the ranks and Rock Of Rochelle bidding to earn a 2,000 Guineas place. On the face of it, however, there doesn't look to be any reason to underestimate the 106-rated Mr Medici whose Limerick victory last weekend came in a three-horse race but still saw a decent colt in Provincial finish well beaten.

A National Hunt touch can be brought to the final two races with the classically bred hurdler Streets Of Gold in the mile and a half handicap and the former top-bumper mare Shirley Casper in the two mile conditions event.