Flat season gets off to promising start despite clear flaws in the programme
One of the inescapable facts of the Irish scene is the stuttering start to the Flat season.
The new campaign does not gain clear precedence for the first six weeks or thereabouts, on account of the traditional Easter date of the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse, and the importance of Punchestown as the climactic fixture of a 12-month jumps season.
Despite the stop-start element, the Flat has already produced much to enjoy and admire. Last Saturday's Alleged Stakes at Naas would have been a quality race at any stage of the year, an abnormally strong Group 3 in which Group 1 winners Magical, Flag Of Honour and Latrobe took the first three places.
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