ALTHOUGH Dance Design has not had an outing this season, she is said to be working extremely well and is expected to be at the top of her form for Saturday's Airlie Coolmore Irish, 1,000 Guineas. Dermot Weld's two Irish 1,000 Guineas winners, Princess Polly (1982) and Trusted Partner (1988), were making their seasonal bow. But Dance Design, who had some impressive two year old form, will need good Park Petard, who runs in this evening's Golden Race at Tipperary, was no match for Dance Design when the latter made a winning debut in a seven furlong maiden at Galway in August. The Jim Bolger trained filly rather lost her way after that effort, but the grey won by six lengths on her seasonal debut at Gowran Park last month, leading a furlong and a half out and quickening inside the distance. This extra two furlongs should present no problems.
Escrito just got up to win his maiden at the Curragh but was subsequently beaten by Troysend at Gowran. The latter's stable companion, Jaiber, won recently at Killarney, while Matsuri, whose, trainer John Oxx won last year's corresponding race with, Damani, beat odds on stable companion Tikashar by half a length on her only start at Dundalk last October.
Tikashar won at Dundalk last time out. Matsuri might well progress and is taken as the danger to Park Petard.
Myro Ballane, successful for the second time in the Baileys Irish Cream Handicap over a mile at Killarney, where she beat the subsequent hurdles winner Home Port, is taken to win the Limerick Junction Handicap over an extra furlong.
Austin Leahy may win the Fourstars Allstar Maiden Hurdle with Persian Mystic who, prior to finishing unplaced behind that good novice Mulligan at Punchestown, divided Betterbebob and Final Project in a maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe. Woody, runner up at Laytown, may give the selection most to do.
