The opening day of the 2017 Galway Festival was a stern reminder of the meeting’s all too familiar dismissive treatment of punters, but amongst the torment remains the potential for a fairy-tale, and it transpired in the feature race, the Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders’ Handicap.

Aidan O’Brien’s exciting youngster Caravaggio is among the 10 two-year-olds in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

Leopardstown hosts this evening’s flat racing fare, while the national hunt action takes place in Tramore, where Trade Marked can carry top weight to victory in the Tramore Golf Club Handicap Hurdle.

Dropped back to five furlongs for the first time, Fort Del Oro stamped herself as another potentially high-class sprinter from Eddie Lynam’s yard in County Meath when proving an emphatic winner of the listed Woodlands Stakes in Naas last evening.

Royal Ascot is likely to be on the agenda for both Ambiguity and Kellstorm following their victories in Tipperary last night, providing the O’Brien team with a double.

Triple Crown hero American Pharoah has been named the 2015 Longines World’s Best Racehorse at a ceremony in London.

Jockey Chris Hayes feels Sole Power has a good chance of breaking his Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye hoodoo should conditions continue to dry out at Longchamp.

Aidan O’Brien was the dominant figure on day two of the second renewal of Champions’ Weekend, the Ballydoyle maestro taking all three Group 1 contests on yesterday’s card at the Curragh.

The Ger Lyons-trained three-year-old Intisari bolted-up in the €50,000 Red God Handicap in Dundalk yesterday, slamming Ballydoyle hope Royal Navy Ship by four lengths to give Conor Hoban the second leg of a double, on his first ride for the County Meath trainer.

Athenry highlights O’Brien five-timer

Cirrus Des Aigles could have a first run in Ireland next month ahead of his intended outing in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Pat Smullen was at his imperious best as he landed last night’s feature races at Cork, the listed Platinum Stakes and Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes, aboard the Dermot Weld-trained duo, Eshera and Zannda, to complete a treble which he kicked off aboard the exciting Only Mine.

Fresh from his Galway Hurdle exploits, trainer Tony Martin dominated day five at the Galway Festival, recording a near 144-1 treble with Vive La France, Tudor City and Dark Crusader.

Surprisingly, the only winning favourite on day five of the Galway Festival came in the ultra-competitive Arthur Guinness Handicap, but it was no shock to punters who backed the Tony Martin-trained Tudor City down from a high of 7-1, to a starting price of 5-2. There were a couple of anxious seconds before he prevailed in the cool hands of Fran Berry.

Golden Horn will “definitely” run in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week as long as conditions are suitable, said owner Anthony Oppenheimer.

Charlie Hills has voiced concerns over whether Muhaarar can reproduce his stunning Royal Ascot display in today’s Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

Eddie Lynam completed a double with Mr.Good Guy and Captain Power in Fairyhouse last night.

Barry Geraghty remains hopeful of making his debut as retained jockey to leading owner JP McManus this weekend – despite being admitted to hospital with a kidney stone on Tuesday.

High-class filly Agnes Stewart is “unlikely” to see a racecourse this year, said trainer Eddie Lynam.

Five-time champion-jockey and four-time Irish Derby winner, Johnny Murtagh savoured his first Derby success as a trainer when 20/1 shot Jocular proved best in a blanket-finish to the Done Deal Apprentice Derby at the Curragh last night.

Found can extend the record-breaking exploits of jockey Ryan Moore by taking the Coronation Stakes this afternoon at Royal Ascot.

Gleneagles can get the Irish off to a flyer on the opening day of Royal Ascot. Aidan O’Brien’s dual classic winner is an odds-on favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes.

Ger Lyons will look for a Group Two opportunity for Ainippe after she came out on top in a thrilling finish to the TRM Ballyogan Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

There we were all ready to put up Dermot Weld’s Zawraq as the most likely winner of this afternoon’s Investec Derby at Epsom and the horse goes and suffers a setback.

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.

Anthem Alexander must be strongly fancied to make a successful seasonal debut in the Group 3 Racing Post Lacken Stakes in Naas, unless the expected rain causes a serious deterioration in ground conditions.

Moviesta is on course for a Royal Ascot return following a racecourse gallop at the Curragh on Sunday.

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.

Aidan O’Brien’s Newmarket hero Gleneagles heads a field of 11 declared for the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh tomorrow.

Although off the track for more than a year, Off The Mark should not be opposed in the Tullamore Maiden Hurdle in Kilbeggan tonight.

Nicky Henderson has yet to decide on plans for Sprinter Sacre – nearly two weeks after he was pulled up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

The Irish flat thoroughbred racehorse rankings for 2014 were released yesterday, confirming once again the impact Irish-trained horses are having on the global stage.

Irish stars Gordon Lord Byron and Sole Power were out of luck in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint, which was won by Aerovelocity at Sha Tin yesterday.

Eddie Lynam is hoping Sole Power can cap his “best ever year” with victory in Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin.

The Andy Oliver-trained debutant Vitally Important looked a smart prospect when bolting-up in the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Maiden in Dundalk last night.

Willie Mullins has pinpointed the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on December 26 as the next likely engagement for Champion Hurdle favourite, Faugheen.

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

Avenue Gabriel rewarded the patience of her connections with a win in the Listed Clodovil E.B.F. Garnet Stakes on a mixed card at Naas yesterday.

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