Harrington and De Bromhead have grounds for concern at Naas

Plusvital Devoy Stakes | 1m2f | RTV

There will always be some who find fault with the weather, be it too hot or cold, but Jessica Harrington and Henry de Bromhead have good reason to complain about the sunny spell in Ireland.

The problem is that both trainers hold major claims in this Listed race as long as the ground comes up on the easy side of good.

Harrington’s Barrington Court is a bona fide Group-class contender when she gets her conditions, while De Bromhead’s Jason The Militant, best known for his exploits over jumps, offered a glimpse of his capabilities on the Flat when winning a Listed prize here on heavy ground in October.

Jason The Militant hasn’t been seen since and, according to De Bromhead, the wait for his return may well be extended if the ground is unsuitable.

De Bromhead said: “We're monitoring the ground and we're not even sure if he'll run or not. We'll see how it is on Sunday but it's not looking good for us as he'd like a bit of an ease.”

Harrington was forced to withdraw Barrington Court a number of times due to unsuitable ground last season and is hoping she doesn’t have to do the same again with JP McManus’s mare.

She said: “She's in great form, I just hope the ground hasn't gone too dry for her. We had a horrendous year with her, we just couldn't get the ground right for her, and I just hope it's not the same story here.

“Hopefully, there'll be a bit of dew tonight and, if it's yielding, it might be okay. She really is in great form and I'd love to run her.”

Good chance for Patrick Sarsfield

Should Jason The Militant and Barrington Court not run, the complexion of the race would change significantly.

Patrick Sarsfield: second in the Wolferton last seasonCredit: Patrick McCann

That would present a far more straightforward task for Joseph O'Brien's Patrick Sarsfield as he is the highest-rated in the line-up but still gets a decent pull at the weights with some of his rivals.

Patrick Sarsfield is a classy performer on his day and, although he failed to win last season, his effort in finishing second in the Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot is up there with the best form on show. This looks a good opportunity for him to get his season up and running with victory.

Ger Lyons is double-handed with the once-raced Licence the chosen one of Colin Keane's over Party House, while Noel Meade's Layfayette is a versatile performer who can't be discounted. Bear Story may struggle to give the weight away on his seasonal return.

What they say

Michael Halford, trainer of Bear Story
He's in good form and is ready to start off. He's wintered well and the trip and ground should be ideal. We're looking forward to a good run from him but the 3lb penalty could make things hard. Having said that, I'm very happy with him and am hoping for a big run.

Noel Meade, trainer of Layfayette
He's in great form. We sidestepped the Lincoln because we thought we'd have a better chance in this. He's working very well and we're happy with him.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Patrick Sarsfield
Patrick Sarsfield seems to have done well in the winter and has been training well this season. It’s a competitive race but we’re looking forward to getting him started and are hoping he runs well.

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