Brian O'Connor
Grey Swallow makes his third visit to the races at Leopardstown today trying to confirm his position as a major classic prospect for next year.
The Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team were out of luck with Vinnie Roe, fourth in yesterday's French Leger, and with their three runners in the Breeders' Cup.
But neither man has made any secret of their regard for their potential new superstar, Grey Swallow.
An intended debut at the Curragh on Derby weekend was wrecked after the son of Daylami tried to wreck himself in a starting stalls incident but his reputation made it intact to Galway a month later.
Grey Swallow's second racecourse experience was a much happier one that yielded a 10-length victory and had Weld talking excitedly about the Dewhurst as an end of season target. That changed to the Racing Post Trophy, which in turn changed to the Criterium International, but now the colt appears in the Group Three Killavullan Stakes.
Nothing but a comprehensive defeat of these three opponents will do those who have backed Grey Swallow to as low as 10 to 1 for next year's 2,000 Guineas.
Aidan O'Brien runs Newton who brings a 104 rating to the race while the filly Takrice ran fifth in the Group One Moyglare. However, Grey Swallow is widely expected to eventually reach far more impressive figures than that.
Michael Kinane was seen at his strongest on board High Chaparral on Saturday night and he is likely to be just as prominent throughout this afternoon.
Cobra should come on sufficiently from his Gowran debut to take the mile maiden while Lucky, a sister to the Guineas winner King Of Kings, will be a danger to all in the fillies maiden.
Kinane, however, is always a significant presence on outside rides and both Livadiya and Red Titian can prove that.
The latter goes in the seven furlong handicap but Livadiya is interesting in the Listed Trigo Stakes now that she runs over a mile and a quarter.
She only just failed to peg back In The Limelight in the Garnet Stakes at Naas eight days ago over a mile and had beaten that filly over a longer trip at Gowran previously.
The Weld-trained Former Senator is an interesting runner after a couple of confidence boosting victories at the Curragh and Listowel but Livadiya, with Kinane's invaluable assistance, can notch up a second Stakes win.
Over at Galway, Blanc C'est Blanc, a bumper winner at the festival, returns to Ballybrit for the novice hurdle with the enigmatic Statim and the course specialist Gamekeeper scheduled to take him on.
The most valuable contest is the 45,000 handicap chase where Blitzy Boy features at the bottom of the handicap, but punters are likely to be also keeping an eye on the maiden hurdle.
Christy Roche gives Adarma her first start over flights and although she hasn't run in almost nine months, the JP McManus-owned mare showed enough in her two bumper starts to make her an interesting contender in this class.
