Weekend Irish preview: Poet Master can defy top weight at the Curragh

With a mark of 115, he already sets the standard and with conditions to suit and this representing a drop in grade for his first start of the season, he can make this another worthwhile trip across the Irish Sea.

The most interesting of his rivals is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Camille Pissarro, who is just 1lb below the selection, though he carries a 5lb penalty for his Group 1 success at the tail end of last season. He holds Classic entries and will have to go close to justify them.

If out of luck in that race, Aidan O’Brien has plenty of opportunities to make amends on Sunday’s card in Leopardstown. On a programme with three Group 3 races, the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes is the feature and the Ballydoyle maestro can land the spoils with Delacroix.

The Dubawi colt won twice at two and wrapped up a good season by finishing just a short head shy of Hotazhell in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster. That level of form sets the standard and, with the step up to 10  furlongs likely to help eke out further improvement, he will take a deal of beating.

O’Brien and Ryan Moore also hold leading claims with Henri Matisse in the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Socks” Stakes. A winner of four of his six outings at two, the National Stakes runner-up made the breakthrough at the top level when getting on top late in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. He sets quite a standard and, with stamina doubts surrounding the race-fit Arizona Blaze, he can take this at the expense of the promising Hazdann.

The nap on the card goes to another O’Brien-trained runner, Exactly, who contests the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes.

In a seven-race juvenile season, she won a maiden at this venue and then finished in the frame in a Group 3, Group 2 and two Group 1s before getting back to winning ways in the most emphatic fashion with a six-and-a-half-length victory in the Group 3 Killavulan Stakes.

She improved with every run last season, and much more can be expected this term. With a little cut in the ground to suit, it will be disappointing if she fails to make a winning start to the season.

There is a National Hunt programme in Downpatrick, where the Randox Ulster National Handicap Chase is the feature. Interestingly, Jumping Jet and Ask Anything, who finished first and second respectively in this race in 2024, are back for more, and it is difficult to look beyond last year’s winner.

Gordon Elliott’s mare was a little below that level in subsequent starts but last time out, at Down Royal, when returning from a four-month absence, she showed distinct signs of a return to form. Likely to be better for that outing, she should be spot-on for this and can complete back-to-back wins in the race.

Askanything has been a bit below his best this season but is respected, while his stablemate, Fina Orders, could have a big say if seeing out this three-and-a-half-mile trip.