CURRAGH PREVIEW: TODAY'S GROUP Two feature at the Curragh, the Galileo Futurity Stakes, has an illustrious roll of honour that should have Westphalia on its list after this afternoon's action.
Aidan O'Brien throws five runners at the race which has been won in the past by such Ballydoyle luminaries as Giant's Causeway, Hawk Wing and Oratorio.
Throw in the last two winners, Teofilo and New Approach, and today's 11 runners have a lot to live up to.
The testing ground conditions may have impacted on the chances of a new superstar emerging as O'Brien comes here numerically strong rather than chancing the potentially top-class Rip Van Winkle.
His bad luck, however, can work to Westphalia's advantage. Runner-up to Bushranger in the Anglesey Stakes, Westphalia looked relatively exposed until he was upped to seven furlongs on soft ground at Tipperary earlier this month.
The result was impressive as he surged clear of his stable companion Sawtooth Mountain with another of today's opponents, Driving Snow, back in third.
Westphalia again gets seven furlongs on testing ground today and while the Curragh is a stiffer test there was no evidence of him stopping at Tipperary.
John Oxx has a high opinion of his Leopardstown maiden winner, Arazan, who hasn't been seen since late May. He could be a danger but the Aga Khan's colt is unproven in these conditions whereas we know Westphalia will thrive on them.
Oxx and jockey Michael Kinane could have better luck in the Listed KM Timber Ballycullen Stakes, where Hasanka runs into her old rival, last year's winner Red Moloney.
Hasanka was runner-up to Unsung Heroine at Cork on her last start and time may tell that she was attempting something of a "mission impossible" in trying to beat Tommy Stack's St Leger entry.
Against this opposition, though, her chances of a valuable Stakes success look more than possible.
Oxx and Kinane unveil an interesting newcomer in the seven-furlong fillies conditions race. Timabiyra is a daughter of Linamix, whose stock usually act well in soft conditions out of the 1997 Irish Champion Stakes winner Timarida.
British runners have dominated the €300,000 Tattersalls Ireland Sale Stakes and nine cross-channel entries line up in the testing conditions today.
Mick Channon's Cerito could be the best of them, but Duaisbhanna could be a class above these, based on her winning debut at Leopardstown earlier this season.
The Tralee festival finally gets under way this afternoon, like the Juddmonte four days late, after passing a 3pm inspection yesterday.
The ground at Ballybeggan Park is heavy.
The big race at tomorrow's mixed Cork fixture is the €27,000 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Hurdle and Larkwing's versatility in terms of ground could overcome the problems of carrying 11st 12lb.
Another one to check out at Cork could be Paidrin in the seven-furlong juvenile maiden as Jim Bolger's filly looked like she would come on for the experience when fifth on her Curragh debut to Again.
The winner hasn't exactly let the form down since.
Fit The Cove has been showing a return to form on the flat recently and his hurdles rating makes him one to watch in tomorrow's handicap hurdle at Ballinrobe.
