Polish can make the most of inside Irish Laurels final draw
DROOPYS POLISH can provide local trainer John Linehan with a second win in the event by making the most of trap one in the €30,000 final of the Bar One Racing Irish Laurels over 525 yards at Curraheen Park, Cork (9.38, live on sisracing.tv).
An orange weather warning for Cork and Kerry areas means that anxious eyes will be cast skywards during the day but, should the all-clear be given, the selection can outrun his odds and emulate Linehan's 2020 winner Runninta Seeya.
Yet to score in the classic, he gets the inside berth for the first time and it is worth noting that he was a ten lengths winner when last wearing red round here.
Romeo Taylor in two is speedy but could take a middle path and smooth his path so the August 2022 dog looks as good a pick as any in a wide-open contest.
Romeo Taylor clearly merits maximum respect as does fellow semi-final winner Crafty Shivoo although her draw in four looks tough, even more so five for reigning champion High Trend who is bidding to become the fifth dual Irish Laurels winner.
Jonathan Kay
Veteran 2023 Irish Derby champion The Other Kobe rolled back the years in the early stages of the Irish Laurels to prove he is no back number yet and Graham Holland's dog can rebound from semi-final disappointment in the consolation at 9.21.
Paul Hennessy's Dynamic Force can complete an unbeaten run through the event by proving much the strongest in the €10,000 final of the Michael (Bart) Leahy Memorial A2 Stake at 9.03
First of the feature finals is the Horgans Delicatessen Supplies Ltd Mitchelstown ON1 over 525 yards at 7.54 which can go to Holland's newly-remanded Swords Don.
One-off open picks are Holland's Romeo Control (7.40), Kieran Lynch's Butterbridge Roy (8.12) and Standing Charge (10.08), Murt Leahy's Tribal Syd (8.29) and Julies Gem (8.46), Trevor O'Connell's Cheeky Dan (9.53) plus Linehan's Droopys Booker (10.24).
Oxford stages a morning meeting due to evening speedway commitments with three opens on the card, the pick of which is a 450m contest at 12.46 which can go to Chris Hamblin's Sir Oreo who impressed in a similar event last week.
There are also opens on Doncaster's evening card with Barry Denby's Yorkshire Derby third Bellmore Ozzy unlikely to be fazed by the drop back to 450m in the closer at 8.52, while Shaun Birks' Swanley Pride (11.29) looks best at the morning fixture.
The afternoon action comes from Towcester and, weather permitting, Youghal with Carol Grasso's Ballymac Diverse (3.49) and Nioclas Walsh's Seaview Belle (4.56) the respective picks.
Sir Oreo (nap)
T2 Oxford 12.46