FLAT SEASON: THE CURRAGH kicks off the 2009 turf flat season in Ireland on Sunday where the Group One performer Mad About You will attempt to get her four-year-old campaign off to a perfect start in the Group Three feature.

Dermot Weld’s filly, runner-up in both the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Pretty Polly Stakes last year, is one of 11 entries for the Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes over a mile.

Mad About You is joined by her stable companions Firey Red and Scarlet O’Hara after yesterday’s forfeit stage while Jim Bolger also has three options – Paidrin, Prima Luce and Oh Goodness Me – for a race he won with Alexander Goldrun five years ago.

The going at Irish racing’s headquarters is currently soft but a dry weather forecast for the week ahead promises to see an improvement in ground conditions ahead of what for many is the start of the flat season proper in Ireland.

The going outlook is good news for Weld, who yesterday confirmed Mad About You a starter on Sunday.

“She is a definite runner and I may run one of the other entries in the race. But obviously Mad About You is the main contender,” the Curragh trainer said.

“The weather looks like being good so I would be very hopeful of an improvement in the ground, maybe still on the slow side, but still decent for the time of year.”

Weld could also run both Designated Decoy and Award Ceremony in Sunday’s Keatley Groundcare Irish Lincolnshire but will not be represented in the opening two-year-old race. Our older horses are quite forward but the two-year-olds are not. However, a good week of weather will be a big help,” he reported.

A total of 25 entries remain in the Lincoln with the Bolger-trained Park Express entry, Prima Luce, the top rated.

Also included is the former winner Lady Deauville who is trained by Michael Halford as well as the 2008 winner Crooked Throw who landed a gamble for the Charlie Swan yard 12 months ago.

A feature of Sunday’s entries is the lack of an Aidan O’Brien-trained horse although the Storm Cat filly, Empress Of France, could be the first runner of 2009 from Ballydoyle as she holds an entry in Friday night’s seven-furlong maiden on the all-weather at Dundalk. The only other current entry from the champion trainer is Georgebernardshaw in next month’s Gladness Stakes at the Curragh.

Dermot Weld also had news yesterday of his two Cheltenham bumper runners, Rite Of Passage and Lead The Parade, with the latter due to run in a winners of one race at either Cork or Fairyhouse.

Rite Of Passage started a heavily backed favourite to win at Cheltenham a week ago but eventually had to settle for third, over 10 lengths behind the winner, Dunguib.

“I think he ran into an exceptional horse at Cheltenham, a high-class racing machine,” Weld said. “But he has come out of it very well and the plan is to go for the champion bumper race at Punchestown.”