Today’s Racing

Last season was a frustrating one for many trainers as they struggled to get their horses to the races due to the quick ground.

The next four days bring Killarney’s racing season to a close, and a good mixed programme gets the meeting under way. Harvest Bow will take beating in the Francie Sheehan’s Bar Killorglin 3-Y-O Hurdle, one of three national hunt races in the latter part of the card.

Trethias, whose form includes a defeat of Investec Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood at the Curragh last year, lived-up to her trainer Jessica Harrington’s expectations when landing the listed Naas Oaks Trial in Naas last night.

Airlie Beach rounded off her racing career in tremendous style with a typically game success in the Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes at Galway.

Barry Geraghty is set for a further three weeks on the sidelines after it was discovered he had sustained a hairline fracture of his shoulder blade in a fall at Killarney last week.

There are huge fields for most of today’s races at the Curragh, which hosts a replacement card for the recently abandoned meeting at Sligo, but punters should be rewarded for supporting Khukri in the opening race, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF maiden for two-year-old colts and geldings.

The progressive Qatari Hunter justified favouritism in the €100,000 Nasrullah Handicap, completing a superb 1259/1 four-timer for Jim Bolger and stable-jockey Kevin Manning in Leopardstown last night.

Nearly Nama’d relished the heavy ground to land his second decent pot of the season at Fairyhouse in the Underwriting Exchange Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase yesterday.

Chestnut Fire can send punters home happy by taking the closing race on tonight’s eight-race programme at Dundalk.

On tonight’s eight-race programme at Dundalk, Taglietelle gets the nap to land the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap for trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy.

The action returns to Clonmel this afternoon, where Fever Pitch can once again show his liking for the Co. Tipperary track by taking the Download the Attheraces App Rated Chase for Arthur Moore.

The valuable Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery tops the bill on today’s card at Navan, and Birdcage can make the most of the drop back to five furlongs to land the spoils for trainer Ger Lyons.

Coolmore made an encouraging start to her career, despite having to settle for third in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at the Curragh.

Rupert Lamb put previous frustrating runs over hurdles behind him with a very smart display in the featured Download The Free Racing Post Mobile App Handicap Hurdle last night at Killarney last night.

Ian Queally gave Maudlin Magdalen a textbook ride to land the featured Kingdom Gold Cup, worth €30,000 to the winner, last evening at Killarney.

Cougar Mountain benefited from a drop in class when winning the Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

Baraweez landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ahonoora” Handicap for the second successive year as British raiders dominated the feature event on the final day of the Galway Festival yesterday.

Runner-up on his recent debut at the Curragh, Lieutenant General should land the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden in Naas tonight.

Ger Lyons is looking to the future with Ainippe after she relished the step up to seven furlongs to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse yesterday.

Harasava should give Pat Smullen the perfect send-off ahead of Royal Ascot by landing tonight’s Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction Maiden in Sligo.

Pint-sized but progressive mare Kimbay landed a tidy gamble when successfully transferring her polytrack form to turf in the five-furlong Follow Tipperary On Facebook Handicap in Tipperary last night.

The weather may have made it feel more like January than June for Royal Ascot trials day at Naas yesterday, but there were plenty of clues on offer for those who braved the wind and rain, not least in the shape of Anthem Alexander.

Wicklow Brave proved himself on course for the marathon Queen Alexandra Stakes in Royal Ascot when recording an effortless, odds-on victory in the Bryan MacMahon Amateur Race, yesterday’s finale in Listowel.

Seven-times champion Pat Smullen celebrated his 38th birthday with a first and last race double in Cork last night, highlighted by the impressive victory of Variable in the concluding fillies maiden.

Augustin sets a decent standard in the Ardfinnan Flat Race, the bumper on today’s Clonmel card.

McKinley tore up the script as he floored his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Tell Us More to cause a big upset in the Lawlor’s Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas yesterday.

Sgt Rock should make it third-time-lucky in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden in Dundalk tonight.

John Murphy’s Avenue Montaigne, now that she has her sights considerably lowered, can land the nap in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden at Dundalk tonight.

Ask Dad, whose two previous wins were achieved for Richard Hannon back in 2012, landed a significant morning gamble when bolting up in the six-furlong Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Handicap for trainer Damien English and his father Joe at Dundalk last night.

Kevin Prendergast’s Sharaasa can land the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at Dundalk tonight.

Teenage rider Donnacha O’Brien hit the headlines at the Curragh yesterday with a landmark success on El Salvador in the Irish Cesarewitch.

Last season’s Cheltenham Bumper winner Silver Concorde made a successful return to action when justifying 2/5 favouritism in the two-mile Win A Ski Holiday Racecard Competition Maiden, the first leg of a double for Pat Smullen, in Navan yesterday.

Pat Smullen reached 100 winners in a season for the first time with a double at Gowran Park highlighted by the victory of Brooch in the feature Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.

Andrea Atzeni showed why he has been signed up by Qatar Racing with a good ride to get Cappella Sansevero home in the Nestle Supporting Irish Autism Action Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

Michael Halford’s Great Dancer is fancied to get us away to the perfect start in the opening Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Auction Maiden at Bellewstown this evening.

The Andy Oliver-trained Panama Hat completed a superb five-timer when defying the handicapper and a high draw in yesterday’s finale in Dundalk, the featured, €50,000 Red God Handicap.

David O’Meara’s British raider Custom Cut continued his excellent season with an authoritative display in the Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown last night.