Classic clues everywhere you look at Leopardstown as Weld unleashes Tankerville

A Derby winner, a Melbourne Cup winner and a St Leger winner have emerged from the Group 3 PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (3.50) in the last three years, so it is well worth your while keeping an eye on Leopardstown as the action at Aintree is unfolding.

Aidan O'Brien had the 1-2-3 in the race last year, with Nelson leading home Delano Roosevelt and The Pentagon, and this time he is responsible for half the runners, with Ryan Moore on Broome, Donnacha O'Brien on Sydney Opera House and Seamie Heffernan on Sovereign.

Dermot Weld sent out Harzand to do the Ballysax-Derby double in 2016 and runs Tankerville, who justified odds-on favouritism in a Gowran Park maiden in late October.

Weld, who had four winners at Leopardstown on Wednesday, said: "This is a big step up for Tankerville. He's a strong, big colt but has got to step up from winning a maiden at Gowran Park to taking on some of the potentially best three-year-olds in Europe.

"I'm very happy with him and he's very well. The horses are running very well and the Ballysax is a race that means a lot. It's a race that comes very early in the season but it always takes a very good horse to win it and it tells you very quickly where you stand."

The Ballysax is not the only place you will find Classic clues as the Listed Ballylinch Stud 'Red Rocks' 2,000 Guineas Trial (2.10) is the stage for the unbeaten Madhmoon to make his first start as a three-year-old.

A Group 2 winner on Irish Champions Weekend last year, Madhmoon is two from two at Leopardstown but will meet stiff opposition in the Aidan O'Brien-trained trio of Never No More, San Andreas and The Irish Rover.

Trainer Kevin Prendergast said: "Madhmoon is ready to get started. He has been to Naas and we have our own grass gallop, so he has done plenty. We've had no hold-up and everything is good."

Iridessa, winner of the Group 1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket as a juvenile, drops a furlong for her first start at three in the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud 'Priory Belle' 1,000 Guineas Trial (2.45), with her trainer Joseph O'Brien also represented by Elleanthus and Rainbow Moonstone.

His father Aidan runs Fire Fly, Happen, I Remember You, Secret Thoughts and Zagitova.

The Sheila Lavery-trained Lady Kaya should not be underestimated either, given she already boasts a rating of 110.

Lavery said: "Lady Kaya is very fresh and ready to start. I've been very happy with her progress throughout the winter and this race at Leopardstown was always a natural starting point.

"She's very well and ready to run but I'd be slightly concerned about how she'll handle the ground."

She added: "The ground is more of a worry for Lady Kaya than it would be for Breaking Story [runs in 2.10] but I'm keen to get a run into her, so she'll take her chance and we'll find out more about her."

There is an impressive €233,000 in prize-money on offer over the seven races at Leopardstown.

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