Except for a few high profile absentees most of the big names will be chasing the €25,000 prize when the classic commences at Shelbourne on Saturday.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is building up to a huge crescendo with two fantastic semi-finals lined up for Saturday night.

SATURDAY night at Curraheen provided a final chance for Laurels hopefuls to gain some competitive action at the track prior to the start of the Classic, and Sede Vacante put the finishing touches to his preparations with a super performance in a top-class renewal of the Great Stuff Caterers Open 525.

BY MONDAY afternoon, the starting line-up for the 2011 Laurels will be revealed and the draw for the first round heats made