MAKING IT A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

THE progressive, Joseph O’brientrained Night Of Romance (above) might prove tough to beat in an ultra-competitive renewal of the listed Arthur Guinness Corrib

Fillies Stakes.

A Night Of Thunder filly, she has won three times since arriving in Carriganog from Karl Burke’s and comes here on a hat-trick bid, having landed handicaps at Gowran Park and the Curragh both over today’s seven furlough distance.

She beat Pretty Rebel in Gowran. Up 9lb she followed-up at the Curragh on Derby weekend

outpointing Needle Lace and Marbling, with a number of today’s rivals, Surrounding, Karkiyna and Emilie Gray behind.

Night Of Romance steps from handicap into stakes company today, which is never easy. But it looks a winnable contest and, with Dylan

Browne Mcmonagle (inset) on board again, she should figure prominently in a race where Affogato and Nectaris are among the dangers.

A trio of dual chase-winners clash in a fascinating, Grade 3 Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase. And preference is for locallytrained Sole Pretender, who has run creditably under big weights in two Galway Hurdles and has been successful over the bigger obstacles at Ballinrobe and Roscommon, before failing to cope with Santa Rossa in a Grimes Hurdle repeat bid in Tipperary.

The Paul Flynn-trained Plunkett, 8lb higher than when beating Earls readily in Leopardstown, is suited by coming from off a strong pace, a scenario which should develop in the Rockshore Handicap. And he’s a hopeful nap choice to score under Billy Lee.

Later, Denis Hogan’s Darkened, a narrow winner over hurdles on Monday (when his trainer/rider lost his whip on the run-in), should have solid prospects, reverting to the flat in the Guinness 0.0 per cent Handicap – although his two flat wins have been achieved over nine and seven furlongs respectively, the latter at this meeting in 2020.