JACKY FLYNN can fall successfully between two stools at Roscommon this evening and justify trainer John Joe Walsh's long journey to the track from his Doneraile, Co Cork base.
The two and a half miles of the opening Gortna Mona Maiden Hurdle looks the optimum trip for the six-year-old on the evidence of his previous two runs. Last time at Tipperary, Jacky Flynn couldn't match the pace of River Valley Lady over two miles and had to settle for second and before that looked to find the three miles around Kilbeggan too far when caught close home by Sarah Blue.
Jacky Flynn looked to have that Kilbeggan race in safe keeping from four out when he stretched clear and the overall impression was that tonight's trip, with the long Roscommon straight thrown in, should be ideal.
His form also looks to stand up with the horse who finished behind him in third at Tipperary, Alambar, subsequently winning at Bellewstown and on that evidence Jacky Flynn should be at least capable of beating Aidan O'Brien's Coeur Crise.
The Sligo bumper winner Native Fleck and Sounds Confident runner-up to Kinnegad Girl at Bellewstown, could be more dangerous opponents but in these circumstances, Jacky Flynn deserves the nap.
Wayne Smith has been riding noticeably well recently and he can add to his total with Joking Rebuff in the Lenabane Maiden for Co Derry trainer Mervyn Torrens.
This is hardly the greatest contest we'll see this season but there was enough in Joking Rebuff's staying on fourth to Velvet Appeal at Dundalk last month to suggest he is capable of picking it up, possibly at the main expense of Diesel Dan.
The most valuable race on the card is the Burke and Associates Handicap where it is difficult to oppose the likely favourite Bank Statement. Tom Taaffe's runner started joint favourite for a handicap at the Curragh over the Derby weekend and did well to be beaten only a length by the gambled on Basanta.
This versatile sort looks to only have to reproduce that effort to put himself in with a first rate chance against the Sligo runner up Cryptic Pattern and the Jim Bolger runner Ash Project.
John Oxx and John Murtagh team up with Banjala for the Ballybeg Maiden and while there wasn't a lot to shout about this filly's two previous efforts, the step up to tonight's two miles could be the making of her. As a daughter of Kahayasi, Banjala was never really going to shine over the 10 furlongs of the Curragh or Naas but the latter effort, a staying on seventh to well regarded stablemate Ayers Rock, doesn't read too badly in the light of Ayers Rock's sauntering win at Leopardstown on Saturday evening.
Slightly better ground could make the difference for Dancing Clodagh in the Ulster Bank Handicap. Ger Lyons' representative was a disappointment at Wexford last time behind Permit Me but was a winner at Laytown before that and also ran a good race on good ground on the flat when third to Real Guest at Leopardstown.
The Four Mile House Maiden for juveniles looks open and it could be worth taking an interest in Always Crowded who ran a nice debut behind the easy winner Sideman at Leopardstown, the form of which was boosted by the third horse Abandonment winning on the same track on Saturday night.
Amateur champion Ruby Walsh has possibly the best formlines to the concluding bumper and that could be advantageous when he takes the mount on Willie Mullins' newcomer Mill Lane Lady. She looks checking out in the market beforehand.
John Oxx's Zafarabad (Johnny Murtagh) did best of the three foreign runners by running fifth in the Pounds 173,863 BMW German Derby (12f) at Hamburg yesterday. The Irish runner was beaten around seven and a half lengths by Bruno Schutz's Borgia, the mount of Olivier Peslier.
