Blessed can show the way
Hopefully, the historic and once hugely-popular track will depart in the right manner, with all five days scheduled going ahead.
Feature event is the Brandon Hotel Handicap Hurdle and, on a programme which offers few tempting betting propositions, Show Blessed gets the nap.
Joanna Morgan's eight-year-old is at the peak of his powers right now and has proved in the past he is capable of handling at least soft ground.
After producing plenty of improvement on the flat, the selection had his attentions turned to jumping at Naas last time.
He cruised to a six lengths success and you could hardly argue with the handicapper's decision to raise him 14lbs for that.
Top weight Northern Alliance is the class act of the contest, having run a cracker in the Galway Hurdle when beaten a length and three parts of a length into third behind Indian Pace and Eagle's Pass.
But he is unproven on this surface, which sways one towards the versatile and improving Show Blessed.
Dermot Weld's Carefree Smile should prove hard to beat in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Fillies Maiden for juveniles.
The ground has to be a worry, of course, but it seems reasonable to conclude her trainer believes she will handle it.
The daughter of Invincible Spirit ran a race rich in promise first time up, two lengths second to Oui Say Oui at the Curragh in July, when the ground was yielding.
Oui Say Oui gave the form a big boost at Leopardstown on Sunday, runner-up behind Again in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes.
Moonlight Sapphire is a hopeful choice in the moderate Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Fillies Maiden for three-year-olds plus.
She proved no match for Sualice at Galway, going down by eight lengths, but faces nothing of that calibre now.
