SLIGO hosts the first evening meeting of the year today, and while the quality of some of the fare might be questionable, the competitiveness of it, thrown in with a £10,000 guaranteed Jackpot, should attract the faithful.
One notable it has attracted is Richard Dunwoody who significantly makes a rare sortie to the western track to ride for trainer Tony Martin.
That the former British champion jockey makes the journey is a hint in itself to punters, and that hint looks likely to pay off with Hollybank Buck who Martin saddles in the opening Smirnoff Handicap Hurdle.
The recent torrents of rain will be welcomed by this seven-year-old who hasn't run since finishing a decent third to Blushing Sand and Pat Hartigan in a reasonable novice handicap race at Navan in early March.
It's highly encouraging to look back to last October when Hollybank Buck sluiced through some heavy ground at Gowran Park to win a maiden hurdle by five lengths from Flamingo Flower at the apparently unconsidered price of 20 to t.
A combination of soft ground again and Dunwoody's presence on his back make this lightly-raced animal an attractive option in a race where the principal danger looks to be Fran Woods' mount, Lady Elise, winner of her last two races on good going.
Dunwoody and Martin will no doubt be hoping for a double with the old-timer Famous Stout in the Glencar Handicap Chase. The veteran showed such enthusiasm for the job on his return from a long layoff from racecourse duty last time that those hopes could well be justified.
That return was at Fairyhouse last month when Dunwoody found himself reaching deep into his vast armoury in order to get the favourite, Prate Box, home two lengths ahead of Famous Stout in a better race to today's.
It was only until well into the final run in that Prate Box asserted his superiority and a repeat of that form should give Famous Stout a good enough chance to defeat the likes of Appalachee Bay and Hersilia now.
Flat enthusiasts have three races to get their teeth into and more than one will be hoping to take a bite out of any decent price on Arc in the Strandhill Maiden.
John Hayden's horse was a fast finishing third to the battle-hardened Best Before Dawn over five furlongs at the Curragh 16 days ago and should be well suited by the extra furlong and a half tonight.
John Murtagh's mount That's Logic - had some reasonable form as a two-year-old, but on the official ratings, Arc has something in hand of him and the book looks set to be right.
The form of the Bennettsbridge Handicap at Gowran earlier this month should have a big influence on the Club Orange Handicap here. Libarchie's short head second to Playprint then gives him the beating of Bicycle Thief, seventh that day, and while Christy Roche's horse is bound to improve from that, Libarchie looks the value choice.
Tout A Coup proved at Listowel on Saturday that Gerry, Cusack's string is in good form and with the talented youngster Jamie Spencer on board, Guest Cailin looks the one to be on in the Journeyman Bar Apprentice Handicap.
The Be My Guest filly was noted running on very encouragingly to be fourth to Saponaria in a 10-furlong handicap at Navan two weeks ago and looks reasonably weighted.
Arthur Moore and Fran Woods are in such good form that it would be foolish to ignore the claims of Veredarius in the Beginners Chase. Jim Dreaper's Chatterbuck could be the main danger but would probably prefer further than this two and a half miles.
. Clive Brittain's Air Express, ridden by Brett Doyle, gamely landed the Group Two Premio Parioli the Italian 2,000 Guineas in Rome yesterday.
