Racing Down Royal and Tipperary previews: The Byrne Handicap Chase at Tipperary tomorrow carries the subtitle "Galway Plate Trial" and it was a contest that Aidan O'Brien's Live Like A Lord won en route to a Plate success.
This year's race may, however, shed less light on future happenings at the Ballybrit course as Pat Hughes has already expressed his deepest doubts about the the ability of Theseus to stay the two and three quarter miles.
Yet after his surprise win at Killarney on Tuesday evening Theseus is the one they will all have to beat over a course and distance that does not call for anything like the same measure of stamina. When you send a runner over to Market Rasen in the autumn, you can be excused if you fail to take on board the possibility that you could be hitting into a Cheltenham Festival winner.
That's what happened to Theseus and he can be excused if he failed to make any impression on Azertyuiop who went on to win the Arkle Chase in some style by 11 lengths.
Having been given time to get the psychological effect of such a trouncing Theseus finally made his comeback this week and won with enough in hand to indicate that a 7lb penalty should not stop him tomorrow.
The richest race in Ireland this weekend is the a60,000 Betdaq Hurdle. A fit from chasing Goss should give a good account of himself while a newcomer to jumping to watch for the future is the ex-John Oxx trained Lowlander who is now with Dermot Weld.
Kevin Prendergast has a good record in nurseries and although Kurlicue has three and a half lengths to find to Alexander Goldrun on early season Curragh form there were excuses for her that day.
Pat Shanahan who is the top flat race rider at Down Royal partners Markova in the Ladies Day Fillies Maiden Stakes. She ran well on her juvenile debut at Leopardstown behind Fluirsheach.
When beaten into sixth place at Naas, Beauty Contest ran up against fillies that were destined to run in the Irish Oaks. The Summer Handicap will pose no such competition and her class should enable her to defy top weight.
Patavellian was yesterday cut from 6 to 1 to 9 to 2 favourite with Coral for the Vodafone Stewards' Cup at Goodwood on August 2nd.
