SUPPORTERS of the Paddy Mullins stable will be hoping the real Damancher stands up to be counted at Roscommon this afternoon.
On some of the form Damancher has logged in the book, the Athleague Race should be little more than a stroll. The five-year-old, after all, has the scalp of Irish Derby winner Zagreb to his credit and finished only four lengths off Winged Love in his own Irish Derby two years ago.
The problem is Damancher is also capable of spectacular troughs in performance and, in the circumstances, a safer bet today looks to be Sharazan.
Not that Sharazan's seasonal debut when last to Dance Design in the Mooresbridge Stakes was very encouraging, but this is a far less competitive contest overall. The extra distance and the ease in the ground should be also in his favour.
Damancher's own seasonal pipe-opener at Listowel when fourth to Tout A Coup doesn't read like a horse at home on the soft going that day, and although on the official ratings Damancher comes out ahead of Sharazan the John Oxx-trained horse looks a more dependable proposition.
Padashpan has been campaigning mainly over hurdles and on the flat recently but still looks the potential winner of the Frank Hannon Memonal Chase for Charlie Swan.
Padashpan's only run so far this year was at Killarney nine days ago and it was highly encouraging to see him go down by only two and a half lengths to Dunferne Classic in a two-mile flat handicap.
A winner from the decent Anabatic over fences at Clonmel last season, Padashpan should improve enough from that Killarney effort to take care of Chatterbuek and Always In Trouble, whose chance ended with a jumping mistake at an early stage at Cork on Saturday.
The Kepak Flat Race could turn into quite a hot little betting contest, with Enda Bolger's point-to-point winner, Bavard Jet, and Liam Cashman's Monteba sure to be fancied.
The solution may be provided, however, by Aidan O'Brien's Rural Run who started favourite to win the race at Tipperary that the very impressive Greenflat Princess eventually won easily. Expected improvement from that should see Rural Run right in the firing line.
Charlie Swan etched yet another place in Irish racing history when partnering Dovaly to win the opening race at the revamped Cork racecourse, which was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture Ivan Yates on Saturday.
The new facilities, including an impressive grandstand, parade ring and stables, were build at a cost of £7.6 million and over 10,000 race-goers paid to enjoy the entertainment.
Swan completed a double when Native-Darrig landed the Paddy Power Handicap Hurdle.
Caiseal Ros upset the odds-on shot Olympic Majesty when successfully making all in the Ducon Concrete/Duhallow Park Hotel Race to beat Zafarabad by three-quarters of a length. Christy Roebe gave the favourite plenty to do, finishing strongly from over a furlong out to finish a further length back in third.
