Rory Cleary enjoyed the biggest success of his brief career to date in Tuesday's McDonogh Handicap and the apprentice jockey looks to hold a good chance of topping off the festival week on High Priestess tonight.

The Michael O'Brien-trained filly is one of just eight runners, with last year's winner Holy Orders topping the weights, in the 70,000 Guinness Handicap.

His presence means that half the field are racing from out of the handicap, including High Priestess who is 5lbs wrong officially but who, on the other hand, will have Cleary's 7lb claim on her side.

The 17-year-old race school graduate showed admirable skill in the McDonogh to navigate Palace Star through the large field and then not panic when having his whip accidentally knocked out of his hand inside the final furlong.

That was a 16th career success for Athlone-born Cleary, who may end up facing another challenge tonight against the best in the business.

Michael Kinane is on Athlumney Lad, who won over hurdles earlier in the week for Shay Barry.

Kinane had been successful on Noel Meade's horse on the flat in May and not surprisingly the trainer isn't hesitating to use the champion jockey again despite overweight.

Kinane looks like putting up overweight of at least 2lbs but his knowledge of the track is worth a lot more than that.

The Weld team have Former Senator, whose sole start of 2004 was a decent fourth to Dashing Home over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown. That should have put him spot-on and the extra quarter mile will suit. He looks a better option than Pantarez who finished in respiratory distress in his last start.

High Priestess, however, is a course and distance winner whose first start since Christmas yielded an ultra-promising fourth to Rockstown Boy in the GPT on Monday.

Michael O'Brien, who won the race with Taklif in 1996, has said in the past he believes High Priestess could be up to Listed standard and, if that is the case, she should challenge off this light weight.

If Kinane misses out on the big race then there won't be many betting he leaves the track empty-handed as Akilana looks the one to beat in the mile-and-a-half maiden.

The John Oxx team struck with the well-supported Caradak on Tuesday and Akilana might hurt the bookies again if there is normal improvement for her Curragh debut behind Eldorado and Rio de Janeiro.

Kinane is also an eye-catching booking for Oakum in the auction maiden. The James Burns filly improved significantly for a run at Ballinrobe when ending up fourth to Chelsea Rose in a maiden at Leopardstown and the form of that looks pretty solid considering the runner-up Silk And Scarlet has since impressively won the Listed Silver Flash Stakes.

The local fans will be out in force supporting Half Barrell as he goes for a third success in the Tony O'Malley Handicap Chase. The 2003 and 2001 winner has also won two other races at Galway and comes here on the back of a run behind City Hall.

An interesting opponent is Wouldn't You Agree who won one of his four races for Jonjo O'Neill before being transferred back to Christy Roche who prepared him for the Plate.

Wouldn't You Agree failed to beat the ballot and has his first run in six months here. However, he was a smart hurdler and at his best he would look competitive off this weight.

Sandy Owen ran sixth in the GPT on Monday and his 85-rating gives him a shout of picking up compensation in the Harp Race.