Grassick stable to land double

The run-up to Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby begins at Sligo this evening where Michael Grassick and Eddie Ahern can continue…

The run-up to Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby begins at Sligo this evening where Michael Grassick and Eddie Ahern can continue their successful run with a double.

Grassick has a very successful record at the north-west track, having saddled 21 winners there in the last 10 years. Fresh from his Royal Ascot victory with San Sebastian last Tuesday, he will leg Ahern on to Jilted and Legend Falls this evening and both can be fancied to win.

Jilted goes in the Beltra Maiden and off a current mark of 74 she is the top rated in this six-furlong contest. She ran up to that handicap rating when third to Amontillado at Leopardstown recently, running on well up the rail, and a reproduction of that effort should see her get the better of Dermot Weld's Social Graces.

Legend Falls, a daughter of the Gimcrack winner River Falls, has run promisingly in both her races to date and if the form book is correct should have the winning of the Goffs Maiden.

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A debut fourth to Access All Areas at Leopardstown now looks a fine effort, and on her subsequent Navan effort she has the beating of Kilpatrick Lil, Hollys Gold and Lefty Fugerri.

Enda Bolger's Aglish Pride won a bumper here last year, ran second to Lisa's Storm at Tralee and the form of that has been boosted by Lisa's Storm subsequent follow up at Tipperary. King Of Peace ran a decent third on the flat at Navan recently and looks the main danger to Aglish Pride in the opener.

Simple Dolly will be very hard to beat in the bumper, while if Owen Bart bounces back from a rather disappointing effort at Leopardstown to the form he showed when winning at Listowel, he will go close in the handicap hurdle.

Limpid, ridden by Olivier Peslier, narrowly came out best in a thrilling finish to edge out Frankie Dettori's mount Almutawakel by a neck in yesterday's Group One Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. French Derby runner-up Croco Rouge came with a late charge but never looked like threatening the winner or second and was three lengths away in third.

Limpid was a 4 to 1 shot and Anthony Stroud, representing winning owner Sheikh Mohammed, said of the Andre Fabretrained colt: "He has been a late maturing type who did not run in any of the Classics. We will probably now give him a break and bring him back with the Arc in mind." "

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column