Racing: Those exhausted after the excesses of Galway will need to take a deep breath to get through today's Bank Holiday fixtures but one man who won't be complaining is Johnny Murtagh. Brian O'Connor reports.
The former champion jockey is at Cork, where he looks to have a good shout of picking up both Listed races.
The 8-10 the Irish Oaks fifth Juliette has to carry in the Give Thanks Stakes is likely to present a problem for Murtagh but even some overweight shouldn't hinder John Oxx's filly.
On official ratings Juliette has 9lb and more in hand on her rivals anyway and the likelihood of fast going shouldn't be a problem either as she has won on quick going and was also Stakes placed on such going before the Oaks.
Oxx has three other fillies in the race and of those maybe the Curragh scorer Kiteflyer will emerge best but Juliette looks the definite stable number one.
Oxx has two in the Platinum Stakes, and Murtagh has opted for the unexposed three-year-old Dossier who won his only start at Naas in May.
It's a significant step because a strict reading of the formbook gives d'Anjou the beating of Avorado on Minstrel Stakes running.
Inchinor is not normally a sire associated with the blue bloods of Ballydoyle but his son Anchor makes his debut for Aidan O'Brien in the race that the subsequent Guineas winner Black Minnaloushe won in 2000.
Up against him is the Danehill newcomer Simple Exchange but Michael Kinane can kick off the meeting with a winner and possibly follow up with Windsor Dancer in the fillies handicap.
Jessica Harrington is another with double prospects. The bumper runner Moscow Court has placed from on the firm and Carvilla has a decent weight in the handicap hurdle.
The same comment also looks to apply to Recess in the handicap hurdle at Naas.
It's only a week since the Jim Gorman-trained horse ran at Galway and wound up an eye-catching fifth to Johnjoe's Express in a maiden.
On the back of some less-than-perfect jumping it was an encouraging effort and even some slight improvement on that would give Recess a big shout against the likes of Izmir, Strike Alliance and Bid Me Again.
Castledale will try and boost the form of the highly rated Margritte in the seven-furlong maiden.
Aidan O'Brien's Black Sam Bellamy proved a big disappointment in a Group One race in Munich yesterday, finishing fifth, beaten just under five lengths, behind impressive winner Ransom O'War.