THE GLADNESS Stakes may be the Group Three feature at the Curragh tomorrow but there’s no doubting Fame And Glory’s status as the headline act when the Irish Derby winner returns to the scene of his greatest triumph.

Were it not for a certain Sea The Stars last year, then Fame And Glory would right now be earning his keep at stud rather than starting out on a four-year-old racing career.

Denied victories in the Epsom Derby and the Irish Champion Stakes by the unfortunate coincidence of being foaled in the same year as his old rival, Fame And Glory can now start to carve out a reputation all on his own.

Aidan O’Brien’s star faces nine opponents in the Listed Alleged Stakes, a race Dylan Thomas won three years ago before progressing to the Prix Ganay and a host of other Group Ones that culminated in Arc success.

Fame And Glory is being aimed down the same road and although he is in O’Brien’s words “just ready to start” it will still be disappointing if he can’t kick off 2010 with a win.

Libano wound up last season by beating Rayeni and the former Italian Guineas winner can confirm that form in the Gladness. Dermot Weld acquired the colt in the middle of last term and should know Libano a lot better now.

Alfred Nobel won last year’s Phoenix Stakes and wound up his juvenile career being unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He reappears in the Loughbrown Stakes and while O’Brien’s have been improving significantly for their first run, Alfred Nobel did work noticeably well at HQ last March and won the Phoenix on soft ground.

Limerick’s Grade Two feature looks to provide Jagoes Mills with a quick opportunity to atone for falling at the second in the Powers Gold Cup last weekend while Hidden Universe should thrive on the going in the bumper.