Ado McGuinness looking forward to running Lincoln stalwart Aussie Valentine

The Flat is back and there's nothing muted about the opening fixture of the season at Naas on Sunday with the €100,000 Tote Irish Lincolnshire headlining a terrific afternoon's racing.

Aussie Valentine has been a standing dish at the fixture in recent seasons and will be bidding to continue his remarkable sequence in the feature event.

Ado McGuinness's gelding has made the frame in the race for the last four years – three times when trained by Paul Deegan – and is expected to go close again following a couple of spins on the all-weather at Dundalk.

Providing an upbeat bulletin on his stable star, McGuinness said: "He's in great form – he's had two nice prep runs at Dundalk and he's had a couple of grass gallops as well.

"He galloped after racing at Leopardstown and worked very well so we're very happy with him. He's a few pounds higher than he was last year but he likes that type of race. He'll be very fit from his runs at Dundalk so that will be a big help to him."

Master Speaker (near side): a second Lincoln hope for Ado McGuinnessCredit: Patrick McCann

McGuinness, who won the race in 2005 with Victram, could also be represented by Master Speaker and added: "We're stepping Master Speaker up in trip. He finished strongly at Galway last year over seven furlongs. Hopefully he'll run a nice race.

"Sprinters don't really go for Lincolns but the owners are keen to run and it's a nice pot, so we're going have a shot at it. He ran a cracker in the Cambridgeshire and he's older and stronger now."

Sunday's card also includes the Group 3 Park Express Stakes which has attracted a number of high-class fillies, headed by the Ger Lyons-trained Who's Steph, who won both Irish 1,000 Guineas trials at Leopardstown last term.

The first staging of the Listed Devoy Stakes has attracted a fascinating entry with Aidan O'Brien's Amedeo Modigliani one of 12 horses in the contest at this stage.

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