Glory bids to open account

FAME AND GLORY is set to try and gain his first victory since last year’s Irish Derby when he returns to the Curragh this Bank Holiday Monday for the Group Three Mooresbridge Stakes.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained star could finish only third on the first start of his four-year-old career at headquarters earlier in the month but is expected to strip much fitter for Monday’s race which attracted eight entries at yesterday’s forfeit stage.

They include the English-trained pair Zafisio and Palavicini, but Fame And Glory looks set to dominate the 10-furlong event which is one of three Group Three contests on the card sponsored by Coolmore Stud.

Jim Bolger’s Free Judgement, who also holds an entry in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, heads a 13-strong list of possibles for the Tetrarch Stakes while the Park Express winner, Pollen, heads the entries for the Athasi Stakes.

The ground on the round course at the Curragh yesterday was officially “good to firm” but “good” on the straight track.

Before that Aidan O’Brien’s focus will be on Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas in which St Nicholas Abbey will be joined by the Dewhurst runner-up, Fencing Master, and Viscount Nelson in a three-pronged Ballydoyle attempt on the first Classic of the season.

Stable jockey Johnny Murtagh will be on board the favourite with Colm O’Donoghue riding Fencing Master and the former Ballydoyle number one, Kieren Fallon, teaming up with O’Brien for the first time since their split by taking the reins on Viscount Nelson.

Fallon has won the Guineas four times, including twice for O’Brien on Footstepsinthesand and George Washington. The controversial rider also rode Virginia Waters to win the 1,000 Guineas for the champion trainer whose sole representative in Sunday’s fillies Classic will be Devoted To You.

Owner, Lady O’Reilly, and trainer, Kevin Prendergast, have lodged appeals against Dazzling Day’s demotion from second place in last Sunday’s Listed Salsabil Stakes at Navan.

The filly’s rider Chris Hayes has also appealed against his one-day suspension for an incident where the local stewards decided Dazzling Day had interfered with the third horse, Unity.

Top National Hunt jockey Andrew McNamara returns to action at Tipperary this evening with three rides including Diophas who can provide him with a winner in the second division of the Beginners Chase.

McNamara was stood down for six days with concussion after being brought down on the flat in race on the first day of the Punchestown Festival last week.

Paul Townend ended the Punchestown Festival as leading rider and the teenager can continue his winning streak with Grantsville in the handicap hurdle and Rathnaskillogue, runner-up at Tramore last time, in the handicap chase.

Adrian Maguire’s Blarney Highwayman was runner-up in a bumper at Cork on heavy ground, but before that the five-year-old was a point-to-point winner on much better going so should hold a leading chance in the last.