“I have to be careful what I say now, don’t I?’’, are the words Aidan O’Brien reportedly muttered in the wake of his Caravaggio enjoying no more than a leisurely stroll on the way to winning the Group 1 Phoenix stakes at the Curragh last Sunday.

Dundalk keeps the show on the road, with a seven-race programme starting at 6.05pm, and the thus-far frustrating A Likely Story can earn a long overdue visit to the winner’s enclosure by taking the second race for Dermot Weld.

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

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.

In emphatically reversing Coventry Stakes form with Buratino and giving trainer Aidan O’Brien his fourteenth success in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, yesterday afternoon at the Curragh, Air Force Blue was promoted to clear favouritism for next season’s Newmarket 2000 Guineas.

Toscanini and Queen Of Sicily, trained by Michael Halford and Jim Bolger respectively, provided the powerful Godolphin team with a double in Naas last night.

Dermot Weld reports ante-post favourite Forgotten Rules to be in top form ahead of the Gold Cup but emphasised he will only run his classy stayer at Royal Ascot if the ground is suitable.

Success Days is set to challenge for Classic honours as he once again relished the testing conditions with an emphatic victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown yesterday.

The Steve Mahon-trained Usa made a spectacular return to action when bolting-up in the Fundraising Events At Tipperary Races Rated Novice Chase in Tipperary yesterday.

Great Minds showed the benefit of his recent return at the Curragh when running out an easy winner of the Listed Cork Stakes at Mallow yesterday.

Convergence captured the listed Patton Stakes for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane in Dundalk last night, denying favourite War Envoy, Ryan Moore’s first ride on the track, by a length.

 

Onenightidreamed eventually wore down the boldly-ridden Aussie Valentine to scoop the big pot in the Tote Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh.

Jamie Spencer’s announcement that he is to shelve plans to retire from the saddle and instead ride as a freelance next season has been widely welcomed by the racing world.

John Oxx will not look back on 2014 with any great relish, but he might provide the bet of the night at Dundalk with Kadayma in the concluding mile and a half maiden.

On a night when Michael Halford and Shane Foley continued in top form with a 64/1 treble, Plus Ca Change looked a potential stakes-class performer when justifying 5/6 favouritism in the opening Irish Stallion farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden in Dundalk.

The once-raced Plus Ca Change can land the opening Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden at Dundalk tonight.

It was Donnacha’s day at Dundalk yesterday as Aidan O’Brien’s younger son registered his first success in the saddle when producing odds-on favourite Quartz with a well-timed late challenge to foil Duchess Andorra by a half-length in the Dundalk Stadium Apprentice Maiden.

A friend of well-known horse breeder Lucy Stack and her trainer husband, James ‘Fozzy’ Stack, found her body in her bedroom after Mr Stack asked the friend to check on her, an inquest heard yesterday.

Dermot Weld’s Brooch put up a fine performance to land the Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes at Killarney last night.

Trainer Paul Deegan has warned Sruthan is likely to improve for the run as he makes his first appearance since May in the Invesco Pension Consultants Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown tonight.

Aidan O’Brien’s domination of the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes continued as Dick Whittington caused a minor upset in the Curragh feature.

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen continued their terrific season when Edelmira landed the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Give Thanks Stakes at Cork last night.

It really is the calm before the storm in Irish racing this weekend.

Tom Mullins and Paul Townend, who teamed up to win with Elsie at Roscommon on Tuesday, again join forces at Cork tonight with Grand Partner and the six-year-old is fancied to land the nap in the Great Value Social Package Maiden Hurdle.

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane have developed into a cracking combination and can provide us with a winning nap in the shape of Cape Wolfe in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at Fairyhouse tonight.

Richard Hannon’s Kool Kompany, so disappointing at Royal Ascot in the Coventry, streaked away with the Group 2 Gain Railway Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Wayne Lordan produced Wannabe Better with a well-timed late surge to collar Eastern Rules and Brendan Brackan in the featured Ballycorus Stakes in Leopardstown last night.

Jim Bolger certainly doesn’t believe in wrapping his horses in cotton wool and two of them making quick reappearances at Clonmel this evening, Stirabout and Chance To Dance, are fancied to deliver.

Answered could provide the solution to a cracking renewal of the Group 3 P W McGrath Memorial Stakes at Navan this afternoon.

Limerick concludes this afternoon with a fascinating little three-runner Summer Twilight Nights Race, which can fall to Michael Winters’ Missunited.

Andy Slattery’s An Saighdiur ran away with the Listed six furlongs Cork Stakes at Cork yesterday.

Aidan O’Brien’s Kingsbarns has to be fancied to outclass five rivals in the Listed Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown this evening.

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen got the Irish Flat turf season off to the perfect start by taking out the two feature events on the opening afternoon of the campaign at the Curragh.

The Irish horse racing community was in shock last night after the death of Lucy Stack.

Kanturk teenager Ciarán Forde will pull on the green jersey to represent Ireland in the Power Soccer World Cup in Paris.

Set to be crowed champion apprentice in two weeks, Cork teenager Connor King landed the October Handicap on Ancient Sands in fortuitous circumstances in Naas yesterday.

Wannabe Better claimed the second Listed race of her career when triumphant in the Clodovil EBF Garnet Stakes at Naas.