Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa to return to action on Thursday

Tarnawa makes her eagerly-anticipated return to action in the Grant Thornton Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown.

Dermot Weld’s star mare enjoyed a spectacular and unbeaten campaign in 2020, landing back-to-back Group One victories in France before providing her trainer with a first Breeders’ Cup win at Keeneland in November.

Tarnawa has not been seen since the latter of those triumphs, but will be a extremely short odds to pick up where she left off under Colin Keane in Thursday's Group Three feature — although her trainer has sounded a cautionary note.

Weld said: “We’re very, very happy with her. The only thing is she’s done herself extremely well through the summer and she’s just carrying a bit more than I’d like condition-wise for her first run.”

Mikey Sheehy can triump again on No Say Ever in Galway Festival Handicap

---

Irish racing can’t afford to keep shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted

---

Irish regulatory board to hear Stephen Mahon appeal over four-year ban

---

Stratum gets another chance to show his potential in Day 5 feature

---

On deliberately giving her a long break before her return, the Rosewell House trainer said: “It worked really successfully for her last year (started in August) — she won her two Group Ones in France and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and I thought we’d kind of follow a similar pattern.

“But possibly because we’ve had a very, very dry and warm summer in Ireland and the ground has been pretty firm I would have liked to have got a bit more work into her. But I’m happy with the filly physically and mentally.”