IF Aidan O’Brien can get St Nicholas Abbey to win the Epsom Derby on June 4 then he can surely be mentioned in the same breath as Merlin - and we all know what his profession was.

THERE may be only four runners in tomorrow’s Group 2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, but this does look a tricky little contest.

KEVIN Prendergast’s Faranadooney can oblige at the third time of asking in the Ingard Point Maiden at Wexford this evening.

JOHN KIELY’S Oneeightofamile, whose previous claim to fame was winning a Dundalk bumper, could hardly have been more impressive in the Lynch and Partners’ (Solicitors) Maiden at Clonmel last night.

AIDAN O’BRIEN, who doesn’t send too many horses to Clonmel, could provide a winning nap in the shape of Great Wisdom in the featured 2010 SEPAM Tipperary Perpetual Cup Handicap at the track tonight.

LAST Saturday morning, I got a phone call from well-known racing photographer, Pat Healy, asking if I’d read page 24 of the Racing Post.

ADRIAN HESKIN added to his growing reputation when powering False Economy, backed from 7-1 to 5’s, to an easy victory in the opening maiden hurdle at Tipperary last night.

AIDAN O’BRIEN’S progressive Awe Inspiring should now be ready to strike and gets the nap in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at Cork tonight.

HURRICANE FLY, the medium of positive reports of late, can take the Grade 1 Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown this evening.

THE Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion Bumper produced a particularly smart winner in Dermot Weld’s four-year-old, Hidden Universe, writes Pat Keane