Stan James Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1)

Another intriguing renewal of this Grade One contest as Carlingford Lough seeks to become just the third horse to land the race three times. He was brilliant 12 months ago and is expected to take all the beating again. Empire Of Dirt is a live danger on his most recent run but will probably need to find something extra so DON POLI has a huge opportunity following his super Lexus effort. That was in stark contrast to his first start for Gordon Elliott but if he has the hunger for this he certainly has the talent. Minella Rocco is another worthy contender despite his Aintree fall last time but the remaining quartet have various questions that need answering, not least of which is Sizing John's ability to get three-miles in this company. 1. Don Poli 2. Carlingford Lough 3. Empire Of Dirt