After the Group One weekend at the Curragh, racing's grass roots get their last festival bash of the year with the beginning of Listowel's six day fixture today.

Although Listowel is a meeting designed for stamina rather than speed, a good start is always desirable and the festival king Dermot Weld looks able to provide just that with Final Exam in the six furlong maiden.

Final Exam has finished fifth in both his starts to date, behind Fasliyev and Ostrovsky, but as a son of College Chapel he should relish a cut in the ground and the officially forecast "soft" should be ideal.

The O'Brien entry Moon God is bred in whatever shade of royalty you care for but seems to be one of the lesser Ballydoyle lights while Weld should know where he stands with Prince Among Men who was third to Sharp Focus last time out.

If Final Exam is successful, punters could do worse than play up on the Imperial Cup winner Regency Rake who has his second start over fences in the Beginners Chase.

Regency Rake never really threatened Donadino at Ballinrobe but should have come on for that experience and may have too much finishing speed for the Galway runner up The Dell and It's Time For A Win.

The most valuable contest on the card is the £15,000 Kingdom Nursery where the Tralee winner Adelphi Theatre tops the weights. The Frances Crowley duo are also sure to be fancied but a value alternative may be Maura's Choice.

Declan McDonogh takes 3lb off the filly's back and Maura's Choice could appreciate the hike up to a mile after some placed efforts over five and six furlongs.

Perugino Diamond was an expensive failure at Tralee when falling in the race won by Fable but he looked an above average recruit to hurdling on his debut at Roscommon and is hard to oppose in the three-year-old hurdle.

The softer the ground the better for No Avail who may be worth a flutter in the handicap hurdle while Spokesman is the selection in the amateur handicap.