Presenting Julio can continue to be a lucky winning charm for jockey Chris Meehan when he makes a quick reappearance in Tuesday evening's feature event in Ballinrobe.
The Gordon Elliott-trained horse gave Meehan a first winner in Ireland at Limerick on Saturday and the partnership line up again under a 4lb penalty in the €20,000 handicap hurdle.
Meehan's unfortunate claim to fame last year was when he sustained facial injuries in a fall at the Merano track in Italy and had his leg broken by an ambulance driving over him as he was being treated.
As if that wasn’t enough the 23-year-old Co Down rider broke the leg again four months later in an accident on a trampoline.
Perhaps not surprisingly he wound up a five-year stint working in Britain to return home and ride for Elliott with Presenting Julio being the most notable evidence of an upswing in fortunes.
That weekend success was the horse’s fourth win in 2017 and there was enough in his defeat of The Rite Article on Saturday to suggest he can follow up.
Another Limerick winner from Saturday who aims for a quick Ballinrobe follow-up is Darkest Flyer while the course bumper winner Billy's Angel could land the opening maiden hurdle ahead of Spin A Yarn.
Top Othe Ra has had ten chances to win over flights before but rarely as good an opportunity as the other card's other maiden.
Green light
In other news, the dual-Oaks heroine Enable is expected to start favourite for this weekend’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes if she gets the green light to run.
Trainer John Gosden will consult with the filly's owner before making a final call on Wednesday but a Ladbrokes spokesperson indicated: "If Enable is 100 per cent confirmed to run she will be made favourite."
Gosden said: “Apart from a cut on her leg, which has healed, she came out of the Irish Oaks very well. She’s had plenty of time between her previous races. It’s not like she’s been overraced this season. She’s fresh and well.”
The top English trainer is also set to be represented by the older horse, Jack Hobbs, who failed to fire at Royal Ascot but was an impressive winner at Meydan in March.
Aidan O’Brien is set to be represented on Saturday by the brothers, Highland Reel and Idaho, with Highland Reel a general 5-2 shot to become just the third horse to win the King George in successive years.
