RACING: Stamullen, Co Meath, trainer Peter Casey has a reputation for placing moderate horses with skill but when he has the good fortune to come upon a superior handicapper of the calibre of Common Kris, he is not shy of going for a big pot, and he has targeted The Stillorgan Handicap at Leopardstown today.

In the corresponding race last year, Common Kris carried top weight of 9-10 and flattered when leading early in the straight before the weight told in the final furlong and he dropped back to be beaten a neck, half a length and a head into fourth place to the subsequently exported Right Honorable.

Avorado, who started joint favourite to give Jim Bolger his eight win in this race, was the runner-up and once again seeks to embellish the trainer's extraordinary big handicap record. Because he was then only a three-year-old, the weight for age scale means that he has to meet Common Kris on 11lb better terms in what will be his first run of the season, and the older hors is napped to take his revenge.

At two Miss Beabea ran her best race to be second, five lengths behind the undisputed world two-year-old champion Johannesburg in the Phoenix Stakes over this course and distance.

Further evidence of her quality came when she was also fourth to Quarter Moon in the Moyglare and either run could enable her to account for Maderno in the Richmond Race.

Quality Team has never been an easy horse to train and it was a credit to Dermot Weld that he ran so well behind Daliapour in the Curragh Cup. He is not opposed in the Challenge Stakes.

Tomorrow's feature race at Tipperary is the Tote Exacta Handicap Chase. The top weights are aimed for the Galway Plate and an appealing light weight is Ross Geraghty's mount Temony, who won a very smart beginners' chase at Ballinrobe, beating Barrow Drive by three and a half lengths.

Cool Cousin may recover Curragh losses in the seven-furlong fillies's handicap.