3 minute read

This wonderful festival provides a great test of stamina for the horses and the punters.

7 days of steady drinking can inflict serious damage on the liver but nobody seems to be too worried about it at the time. 

The Ballybrit track provides a great mix of jumps and flat racing and has seen the debut of many a future star in both spheres.

The trainers' championship is always a feature.  Dermot Weld has won it 28 times but the last few years he has been overtaken by Willie Mullins.

Mullins has got four runners in the opening day feature the Connacht Hotel Handicap for the stayers and with 20 runners in the field they will pay 1-4.  This a race for amateur riders and it seems so old-fashioned to see the riders names prefixed by "Mr".  Two of Mullins's four head the market – Mr Adjudicator on 3/1 and Royal Illusion on 7/1.  That quote is also given to Johnny Murtagh's Baba Boom.  Probably not so rough but definitely worth an e/w is Shakespear'sgalley for Joseph O'Brien. The distance of 3400m can be a good guide to future events.

A number of the horses who run on the opening days come back for a second go later in the week - we will keep an eye on them.