Bank on Lad in big clash

Punters are in for a rare mid-summer treat at Killarney tonight with Beachdale Lad and Rebel Fitz set to take each other on in the Christy McSweeney Memorial Novice Chase.

Preference is for Jessica Harrington's Beachdale Lad, who has created a big impression in his two outings over fences.

At Roscommon in June, he produced a fine display of jumping and front running to slam the useful The Real Article by 14 lengths.

The selection then stepped into winners' company at Kilbeggan and was even more impressive.

Partnered with some restraint in the early stages by Mark Bolger, Beachdale Lad then led at the sixth and made the rest to beat Six Stone Ned by 15 lengths.

The Galway Hurdle hero, Rebel Fitz, is a classy and dangerous opponent. He left a poor enough effort on this track firmly behind him when scoring at Ballinrobe last time.

The official margin of victory was half a length, but Rebel Fitz scored doing handstands and it could have been maybe 30 lengths, had Barry Geraghty so wished.

The worry with Rebel Fitz, however, is that he seems to be so much better travelling right-handed and, for that reason, Beachdale Lad is the choice.

Aidan O'Brien's rapidly improving hat-trick seeking Rain God gets the vote in the Ross Golf Course Race.

His latest success came at Naas last week when making light of 10-1 to land a handicap.

O'Brien's Marchese Marconi, not disgraced when ninth behind Jonjo O'Neill's Well Sharp over two and a half miles at Royal Ascot, can land the Killarney Veterinary Clinic Race.

Another Ballydoyle inmate, Il Palazzo, second to Dermot Weld's Violet Hour at Naas six days ago, but clearly no star, might be good enough to get through the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Maiden.