18:30 Leopardstown: Timeform preview and free Race Pass

Leopardstown’s evening card on Thursday features a couple of listed contests, including the Glencairn Stakes (18:30) over a mile and a furlong for which seven runners have been declared.

All bar two of the runners are four-year-old fillies and the pick of that group looks to be Kerkiyra (Timeform weight-adjusted rating 115) for ‘Hot Trainer’ Johnny Murtagh. She won a couple of handicaps at the Curragh over a mile and a quarter last season, including the valuable Northfields Handicap on Irish Champions weekend, and ran her best race when beaten a head by Self Belief in a listed race at Leopardstown on her final start. Kerkiyra, who holds a Group 1 entry in the Pretty Polly Stakes, returned with a creditable third to Insinuendo in the Park Express Stakes at the Curragh in March over a mile and can be expected to step up on that run over this extra furlong.

Her main threat could come from fellow four-year-old filly Moon de Vega (111), she too for a ‘Hot Trainer’, Paddy Twomey. Her only win for Ralph Beckett came in a maiden at Doncaster at two but she was highly tried last season, including in the Oaks. Fitted with a tongue tie for the first time and with her sights lowered, she made a winning start for her new stable in a fillies’ minor event at Gowran last month when quickening clear to beat odds-on favourite Mashia by three and three quarter lengths.

Another ‘Hot Trainer’, Aidan O’Brien, fields the sole three-year-old in the line-up Salt Lake City (105), a colt by Galileo. He was last seen in the Futurity Trophy last October when doing the donkey-work for his now Derby-winning stablemate Auguste Rodin, eventually weakening into fifth at Doncaster. He’d easily won a maiden at Navan from the front earlier that month and is less exposed than his older rivals.

Flame of Eire (111) was a very progressive handicapper last season, running up a four-timer from July onwards and making into a useful filly. She finished behind Kerkiyra on her reappearance but performed better back in a handicap when ninth to Rahmi in a big field at the Curragh last time.

Vega Magnifico (106) is quite a lightly-raced four-year-old who won a maiden at Navan last season. He too comes into this after a creditable effort in a handicap at the Curragh last time, finishing a never-nearer sixth to Timourid after meeting trouble in running, but has a bit more to find in this company.

Giladah (107) represents ‘Hot Trainer’ Dermot Weld and is another stepping up from handicaps. She won three such races last season, two of them over this course and distance, and has been placed in both her starts this year, finishing three lengths second to Smooth Tom over a mile and a quarter here on her latest outing.

This looks another stiff task for the free-going Believeinmiracles (106). She won a maiden at Gowran last season but has finished down the field in previous tries in listed races, including back at Gowran on her reappearance last month.

Timeform analyst’s verdict

Having ended 2022 on the up, Kerkiyra produced a solid comeback effort when third in a Curragh Group 3 in March and with the step back up in trip rating a likely plus, she could be the answer. Moon de Vega, an impressive winner on stable debut at Gowran, can also figure, whilst Salt Lake City remains low-mileage now embarking on his three-year-old campaign and is respected in receipt of weight all round.

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings

115 Kerkiyra

111 Flame of Eire

111 Moon de Vega

107 Giladah

106 Believeinmiracles

106 Vega Magnifico

105 Salt Lake City

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