Callow Lake can banish any "nearly horse" labels by winning the €75,000 Specsavers Ulster Derby at Down Royal today.

The biggest flat race in the Down Royal calendar will be attended by a cross-party selection of TDs and Senators from Leinster House, as well as members of the legislative assembly in Stormont, after the problems the track has had in the last year with two meetings having to be abandoned because of bomb scares.

"Our common concern is to express our disgust at the prejudiced and dangerous spoilsports responsible for those bomb scares," said the Independent Senator Joe O'Toole yesterday.

Only a spoilsport would begrudge a big-race success to Callow Lake who was runner-up to Newlands North in this race last year when favourite. Rory Cleary's mount was runner-up in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock last month and his record also includes a third in last year's Galway Hurdle. Considering he has won on the flat off 88 in the past, he doesn't look badly treated today and can score his seventh career success.

Declan McDonogh is on Dashing Home in the big race but his best chances of the afternoon may be elsewhere and especially in the opening seven-furlong maiden with Patrickswell.

The colt was running on particularly well over six furlongs at Cork behind Jopau and he gets a valuable 3lb from his probable danger Dal Cais.

Paul Carberry's return to action didn't last very long at Navan last week but the former champion jockey has recovered from injury and looks to have a good chance at Gowran tomorrow when fast ground loving Moratorium tries to win the handicap hurdle for the second year running.