Monashee set to peak

The Bank Holiday glut of racing winds up with another double header today at Leopardstown and Galway. The accent at the western fixture is on the jumpers, but the black-type prestige lies in Dublin with the Group Three Killavullan Stakes and yet another likely important winner for Ballydoyle.

Monashee Mountain featured in the lists of possible runners for races like the Dewhurst, but has been kept in reserve for this and looks set to pick up with his second win.

The Danzig colt made a big impression on his first start here in early June when beating Yara by a length and a half in the Listed Rochestown Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien made clear his high regard for the horse then and while Monashee Mountain has had a long break, his appearance here alone looks significant. Dermot Weld's Air Of Approval, runner-up to Tender Offer in a decent maiden at the Curragh, looks the main danger.

The other black-type contest at Leopardstown is the Listed Ballyroan Stakes where O'Brien runs Peach Out Of Reach, but Weld is selected to get his revenge courtesy of the improving Hadeb who put two-and-a-half lengths between herself and Twickenham at the Curragh last time.

Indeed the card could turn into something of a benefit for O'Brien and Weld. Ballydoyle can pick up another two juvenile maidens courtesy of Apollo Victoria and Homer, while Leave Me Alone is a speculative choice for Weld and Pat Smullen in the mile handicap.

Over at Galway, a valuable card has an interesting feature in the £22,000 Irish Independent Handicap Chase where the novice Three Rivers is selected to make a winning second attempt at handicap company.

An easy Tralee winner, Three Rivers met Kaselectric in his first tilt at handicappers and that was no bad effort considering Kaselectric went on to win the Munster National at Cork. Half an hour after that, Three Rivers came back to beat Ballyrihy Boy with a distance back to the third and off 9.13, Willie Mullins's charge looks a tempting proposition.

Equalise sprang a surprise at Gowran when running three lengths clear of Half Barrell and despite being 5 lbs worse off with that one, Frances Crowley's horse should have improved for the race and can follow up in the TBD Handicap.

The Beginners Chase features that classy mare Generosa, but Jim Dreaper's Saxophone has the stamp of a potentially classy chaser and showed his talent when an easy winner over Paris Pike at Fairyhouse last February.

Patrickswell trainer Michael Hourigan will fancy his chances with the dual Listowel winner Sly Empress in the opening novices hurdle where she is preferred to the course winner Dawn's Double, while Hourigan could also pick up the following maiden hurdle with the Tralee scorer Moscow Retreat.