Weekend previews: Fairyhouse tomorrow provides the sole black type of the weekend as the Melbourne Cup entry Orpington tries to re-establish his credentials for Australia in the Ballycullen Stakes.
Dermot Weld's young stayer comes here on the back of a disappointing effort in the Ebor at York when he raced early at the rear of the field and never left it.
Tomorrow he has just eight opponents including the three-year-old Right Key who also had an unfortunate experience at York when being left at the start of the Yorkshire Oaks.
Kevin Prendergast's Irish Oaks fourth actually boasts the most impressive rating here at 109, one more than the topweight Mkuzi, who tries to go one better than he did in this last year behind Holy Orders.
Mkuzi rates a bigger threat than that old rival and a dry weekend would boost his chances significantly. He also holds Orpington on Curragh Cup running last June, but it could be worth betting that that form may be turned around now.
Orpington has a 2lb swing for a length and a half but more important is that that Curragh race was effectively Orpington's first start of the year. He has won a Listed race since and is surely better than York would suggest. Certainly if his Melbourne entry is to be more than merely cosmetic he will have to perform well now.
Ad Valorem's defection from the Celebration Mile at Goodwood leaves Kieren Fallon free to go to Fairyhouse where he will kick off on the David Wachman-trained newcomer El Fuego in the six-furlong maiden.
The son of Fusaichi Pegasus was a $700,000 purchase and comes from the family of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup winner Ferdinand. That would suggest stamina and the fact that Wachman tries him at six furlongs suggests he has been showing something at home. The Curragh fourth Nerys looks the benchmark of those with form.
Wachman keeps Wayne Lordan on I Key in the Nursery and this one may just be able to defy topweight based on a good run behind Beauty Bright who was subsequently third in the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York.
Dream Catch goes for a second course and distance win of the season in the nine-furlong handicap and the five-year-old owned by Johnny Murtagh's wife, Orla, looks one to keep an eye on. He has a perfect draw in box 12 and also has the good apprentice Emmet Butterly taking off 7lb. Dream Catch also comes here on the back of a decent run behind The Carbon Unit at Leopardstown.
Vale View wasn't beaten far on her Galway debut behind the subsequent double winner Loblolly Bay and may be one to check out in the seven-furlong maiden.
