The international focus may be on Ascot today but back at the Curragh Pat Smullen can use that focus to significantly improve his position in the jockeys' table.
Up to last evening, the reigning champion was on the 39 mark for the season, just one behind Mick Kinane and three behind John Murtagh, who are busy at Ascot.
The Meld Stakes might be comparative small fry to the King George but a winner is a winner, and Muakaad looks likely to be just that for Smullen in the Group Three contest.
Dermot Weld's horse cannot have the ground fast enough and the forecast "good to firm" going should be right up his street. There was a definite dig in the ground when the 114-rated colt was beaten by Distant Music in a Group Two last time, and Muakaad was not right when last in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Bonnard is held on that Distant Music form and many will focus on the English raider, Adilabad, as a more potent threat.
The Stoute runner has to concede 3lb, having picked up a Windsor Group Three last August and was relatively disappointing when only fourth in the Hardwicke last time out.
Smullen and Weld can also land the Connell Race with Maumee, whose length and a half second to Bach last time was advertised by the winner's subsequent good effort in the Eclipse. The course and distance winner Hawkeye looks the danger; and Smullen could also be on the mark with Joking Rebuff in the seven-furlong handicap.
The other black type contest is the listed Flame Of Tara Tyros Stakes which has just four runners. Despite only winning on his debut by a short head, the expensive Shah Jehan looks the pick of the Ballydoyle pair and will be the popular pick; and Sweet Deimos can go one better than her debut second to Steaming Home over the course and distance of the opener.
The race won by Lucky Bet at Dundalk recently can have a big influence at Down Royal. The runner-up Majariyya looks to have a reasonable chance on going one better in the mile and a quarter handicap, and the third at Dundalk, Go Girl Go, will be a major fancy for the mile and a half handicap.
