NEWS ROUND-UP:CAMPFIRE GLOW can take some of the sting out of Famous Name's agonising French Derby near miss when she lines up at Leopardstown this evening in the middle of what could still be a momentous classic week for the Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team.
Weld's unbeaten filly Chinese White is expected to be part of an ultra-strong Irish team that will be declared this morning for Friday's Epsom Oaks while Casual Conquest remains a general 7 to 2 favourite for Saturday's Derby.
Also thrown into the classic mix yesterday was Mad About You, runner-up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas 10 days ago, and whose name features among the 25 left in Sunday's French Oaks at Chantilly.
The Prix de Diane is run over the course and distance that Famous Name was so narrowly edged out in last Sunday's Prix Du Jockey Club.
Along with Mad About You, Jim Bolger has left in the Epsom Oaks favourite Lush Lashes as well as Prima Luce and Teacht An Earraig while Aidan O'Brien has four hopefuls. They include both Kitty Matcham and Sail.
In that top-flight light, tonight's Leopardstown feature, the Ballyogan Stakes, appears relatively light fare but a Group Three prize will still be valuable to any of the 11 fillies lining up.
They include a trio of British horses as well as Jim Bolger's My Girl Sophie who brings winning form from Naas on Monday. The glamour girls though are last year's Queen Mary winner Elletelle and Campfire Glow who already has a Group Two win to her name.
Dr Ronan Lambe's €250,000 purchase won last year's Debutante Stakes in a performance that smacked of classic potential. However, a seven furlong trial in the Athasi Stakes on soft ground at the Curragh in April looked too far for Campfire Glow who faded to sixth to Prima Luce.
Further back was Elletelle and immediately afterwards the Weld team indicated Campfire Glow would drop in distance. She does that today and fast ground should suit her much better as well.
Both the Aidan O'Brien and Jim Bolger juvenile teams have been in good form so far this season but it could pay to side with Curragh trainer Jim Gorman and his once-raced two-year-old Three Way Stretch.
Fran Berry's mount ran a most encouraging debut at the Curragh last month when third to the Ballydoyle runner Mastercraftsman. Very slowly away, the colt then had to be switched wide to deliver a challenge and all told it was a performance of promise.
Since then the fourth that day, Intense Focus, has won and that racecourse experience could be crucial in Three Way Stretch beating the big guns.
Ferneley has to carry a Group Three penalty in the Listed Glencairn Stakes against four opponents that include the 2006 winner Mustameet, who will have his first start in over a year. Frank Ennis's horse is in form and can concede the weight.
There's a big difference between winning a pre-Christmas bumper at Thurles and a mid-summer flat maiden at Leopardstown but Oscar Dan Dan can bridge that gap in the last.
