Today's racing - 9th April

From the national to the Ballysax Stakes card at Leopardstown tomorrow, which signals the real start of the Irish Flat season for many and plenty of decent horses on show.

I’ll go again and again about the virtues of experienced horses in two year old maidens making amends and it showed last weekend at the Curragh when Gold Lace got the better of Raphael Santi, who was a void and beaten selection for that race. He shaped very promisingly when falling too far behind too soon (was last and being pushed along at the three furlong pole) and never got into it until beating the last three inside the final furlong. He’d have made a much better first of things over today’s trip and sounder surface will help too, so take him to win the Irish Stallion Farms E.B.F. Maiden at 2.15. Ballydoyle have won two of the last four renewals of this race and Ryan Moore has gotten the ride here in a strange move considering Ballydoyle have two perfectly good jockeys to use.

Mawaaker - Has scope for improvement

In the featured Ballysax Stakes (3.45), the obvious pick is Recital, so impressive in a backend Group 1 that the stable used to reveal Fame & Glory, who beat all but Sea The Stars in next year’s Derby. He was mightily impressive and really should be winning but a 5lbs penalty will make life tough if you consider he won’t be at peak fitness and maybe a small bet on Beseford Stakes second Mawaakef may be the option, considering that he was only for lengths behind Casamento, promises to improve for the trip, and should be set for a decent enough run. Adailapour’s second to Defining Year has been boosted since and he’d want this trip but he might not be group class and a bigger threat may come from O’Brien’s second string Exdous, who will likely have a lead from the pacemaker Regent Street.

The last pick of the day at Leopardstown is Claiomh Solais to once again beat Quest For Peace and uphold the Curragh maiden form in the 4.15. The ground looked unsuitably soft for her and she should improve for the experience anyway.

And last but not least, Dhaafer can take the 3.10 at Ascot, He was the best of the three that ran in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at the Festival and he’s weighted to confirm that form with Rock Of Deauville and Jubalil. The most interesting rival he has it Architrave, who’s found things too tough the last twice in Graded races at Cheltenham. What he can do here remains to be seen, but this is easier than usual for him.

Advice

3 pts win Raphael Santi (2.15 Curragh)

1 pt win Mawaakef, 3.45 Curragh (5/1 Paddy Power)

2 pts win Claiomh Solais (4.15 Curragh)

1 pt win Dhaafer, 3.10 Ascot (9/4 Paddy Power)