Sharpaten gives new rating an airing

Just one day after being the subject of an appeals hearing at the Turf Club, Sharpaten gives his new flat handicap rating an airing in the Nick O'Donnell Handicap at Wexford this afternoon.

It is that rating which provoked Sharpaten's owner, Dermot O'Rorke, to lodge an appeal to the Turf Club against the handicapper's assessment of Sharpaten following his Wexford success 28 days ago. Sharpaten won that day off a mark of 57 but now races off 72.

O'Rourke and trainer Pat Hughes gave evidence to the appeals committee yesterday as did the handicappers, Geoffrey Gibbs and Gary O'Gorman, and the committee declared the assessment to be fair.

Sharpaten has to hump 10st against the likes of Murrayfield and Don't You Dare but his chance cannot be discounted on the back of a fine sixth to Ansar in the Galway Hurdle.

Pat Hughes did not have a good day at the Turf Club as his horse Samasakhan was disqualified from first in a handicap hurdle at Navan in June due to testing positive for the prohibited substance Dembrexine.

However, the committee found the substance was administered unknowingly and accepted Hughes had taken all reasonable precautions.

Pat Smullen is just one short of his 50th winner of the season and he could hit the landmark on Mill Lane Flyer in the Barrow Handicap while Tarbuck looks good for the second maiden hurdle.

Colm O'Donoghue is engaged in a fierce struggle with Pat Cosgrave for the apprentice title and can level the scores on 17 if Dermot Weld's Beautiful Drifter can repeat the running she gave when third to Spurn at Naas on Monday. Rumson Way could be the answer to the nine furlong handicap on Gal way form last weekend.