IRISH ANGLE

NAP OF THE DAY

RICH BELIEF (8.25) is worth waiting for in the closing Awards & Gifts Handicap at Leopardstown tonight. The five-year-old has been a nice money spinner for trainer Karl Thornton and rarely runs a bad race, producing another fine effort to finish fourth at Galway last week. He’s yet to win on the level, having won three times over timber but there should be a Flat handicap in him off this sort of mark before the summer is out and ground tonight will suit too.

EACH WAY THIEF

DERMOT Weld’s horses have been sick this summer with a virus but he was among the winners at Galway last week and the hope is his string has turned a corner. ERISKAY (5.15) is a homebred filly that looked potentially smart when winning a maiden at Navan this time last year. She’s winless in five runs since and was taken out of Galway because of the ground last week but must have an eachway chance off a mark of just 69 considering Weld was talking about Listed contests for her last season.

ONE TO WATCH

THE featured Grant Thornton Ballyroan Stakes is a Group 3 at Leopardstown and has attracted a decent field headed by Noel Meade’s LAYFAYETTE (6.15), who can defy top weight in the 1m4f contest. He was last seen at Royal Ascot but has enjoyed a nice break and should be competitive in these late season contests where a dig in the ground should suit. Ben Coen gets a nice spare as regular rider Colin Keane is needed by

Ger Lyons and he can get back to winning ways here.

ONE TO SWERVE

PATRICK Mullins going to Sligo to ride one for his dad Willie in the closing bumper will most likely attract plenty of cash but his mount DOUBLE PINK (8.05) will need huge improvement from her debut run to win. She was beaten 33 lengths in a maiden hurdle at Cork in 2021 on her only other start and although she’ll face that 497 day absence is a concern.