Racing/News round-up:Yeats is the star name on view on the first of Leopardstown's Wednesday evening summer meetings and the Aidan O'Brien-trained star should have no more than a good workout in the feature event.
The six-year-old faces just seven opponents in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes which should provide Yeats with a successful step towards a defence of Ascot Gold Cup crown in just over three weeks' time.
As befits Europe's current leading stayer, he has to concede weight all round but his 121 rating still leaves him well clear and there was enough in his successful return to action at Navan to suggest he may even be more formidable over the longer distances this season.
That is some thought for a horse who at this time three years ago was a late-withdrawal from the Epsom Derby having been favourite for the blue riband for most of the winter.
The enigmatic hurdler Sweet Wake, a Group Two winner in Germany, is the closest to Yeats on figures but the veteran Mutakarrim, a course winner under a big weight on his last start, may be the one to give the favourite most to do.
Pat Smullen and Dermot Weld may miss out on the Saval Beg this time but they should still have a good evening courtesy of Fancy Dance in the 10-furlong handicap and Perfect Casting in the mile maiden.
Fancy Dance made a winning debut at Cork that earned her a handicap mark of 90 and it is significant that Weld has elected to us it on just her second start.
The form of that Cork race has been boosted by subsequent wins for the placed horses, Downtown and Alexander Goldmine, and Fancy Dance looks to have enough improvement in her to account for the Killarney winner Temlett.
Perfect Casting looked a winner at the distance of his mile and a quarter debut at Naas only to get run out of it close home by Alexander Of Hales.
The Moyglare-owned colt drops back to a mile this time and the form of that Naas race was hugely boosted by Alexander Of Hales's Gallinule Stakes victory at the weekend.
n Tony Mullins has elected not to appeal the €3,900 fine he picked up at last week's Turf Club inquiry where he was found guilty of "blatant and absolute disregard" of the rules regarding the return of horses in training at his Co Kilkenny stables.
An inspection last August found that 30 of the 58 horses supposed to be present in the yard were in fact absent and Mullins was fined €130 for each of them. He was also ordered to pay €1,000 in legal costs.
An angry Mullins expressed himself "astounded" at the penalties but yesterday he ruled out an appeal despite still feeling very unhappy at the outcome of last week's Appeals & Referrrals Committee finding.
On the day of the inspection, Mullins was with his son Danny who was riding at the Dingle Derby pony meeting in Co Kerry.
"I feel all this is over my son riding in flappers even though that has never been mentioned," the Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer said yesterday. "And if €5,000 is the price of his apprenticeship, then I'm very happy."
At last week's Turf Club inquiry, the Referrals Committee said that only for Mullins's helpful attitude towards the case, he could have faced the possibility of losing his training licence.
Dawn Run's former jockey enjoyed the greatest moment of his training career just last March when Pedrobob broke his duck at the Cheltenham Festival in the Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.
