For Your Eyes can get punters off to flying start

The Seamus Mulvaney Bookmakers Fillies’ Maiden is the opening race of the five-day festival in Killarney and punters can get off to a flyer by siding with For Your Eyes.

A filly with plenty of scope, she is a four-race maiden but certainly has shown more than enough in defeat to believe a race of this nature is within her capabilities.

Last time out, in a Curragh Maiden, she finished third, beaten more than five lengths behind stablemate Leo De Fury, and the winner did plenty for the form when following up in great style on Saturday at Navan.

They didn’t seem to go fast enough for For Your Eyes in that race and thus, unsurprisingly, she was caught for a little toe when the race quickened initially but stayed on to good effect.

Bar one of the newcomers is considerably above average, there isn’t anything of the calibre of Leo De Fury in this race and, from a good draw, it will be no surprise if connections choose to ride the selection more positively this time.

The longer trip should be no trouble to the Flaxman Stables Ireland filly, and she can continue the fabulous run of trainer Jessica Harrington.

Lakemilan can take the €50,000 BoyleSports Handicap Chase for trainer Terence O’Brien and jockey Kevin Brouder.

Well beaten last week at Bellewstown, when sent back over hurdles, she was unlucky in defeat on his previous outing over fences, at Listowel.

She seemed to go for home too soon then and was collared late by Nearly Nama’d.

She boasts fine form at this track, winning a €50,000 hurdle last August.

Although he is 2lbs higher here than at Listowel, she still looks well treated over fences and can take this at the expense of bottom-weight Das Mooser.

John McConnell has his runners in superb form and can take the first two races in Downpatrick.

Hannon represents the Co Meath trainer in the opener, the Plus2Print Remembering Tony Oaks MBE Hurdle, and he can make a winning return to the national hunt sphere following a good run on the flat just 11 days ago.

Earlier this year he was beaten a short head in a Grade 2 hurdle won by Chosen Mate and that form suggests he will take a bit of beating today.

McConnell’s Construct makes his hurdling debut in the Tony Patterson Sports Ground Maiden Hurdle and it looks a good opportunity for the 81-rated flat horse, who won a mile-and-a-half handicap at Roscommon in May and finished runner-up to the classy Inscribe on his next start.