The one race you do not want to miss on Thursday

7.50 Leopardstown
Meld Stakes (Group 3) | 1m1f, 3yo+ | RTV

Why is it interesting?

Decorated Knight was unbeaten in Ireland during his career and this Group 3 was the first of his three wins on Irish soil, the other two arriving at Group 1 level in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Irish Champion Stakes.

It is a chance to see how the three-year-olds fare against their elders and this time around Aidan O'Brien's two runners are from the Classic generation in Mohawk and Cape Of Good Hope.

Mohawk was last year's Royal Lodge winner at Newmarket where he led home a 1-2-3 for Ballydoyle. Cape Of Good Hope was third.

The Dermot Weld-trained Tinandali won his most recent start by 11 lengths, while Up Helly Aa was an impressive wide-margin winner of a maiden at Gowran Park.

Ancient Spirit is making his debut for Jim Bolger having previously been in the care of Chris Waller in Australia.

What do the stats say?

Dermot Weld is the man to follow. He has won this race nine times, most recently with Carla Bianca in 2015, while Famous Name won for three years on the trot in 2010, 2011 and 2012. His other winners were Nanticious (1977), Slender Style (1989), Market Booster (1992), Make No Mistake (1999) and Muakaad (2001).

The last winning favourites was Carla Bianca who obliged at 6-4, but Portage (5-6), Deauville (4-5) and Hazapour (8-13) have all been beaten at odds-on in the last three years.

The last three-year-old to win was Scintillula in 2013 and three of the last four winners have been four. Half of the field are three-year-olds in this year's renewal.

What do the trainers say?

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Pincheck
He went to America and it didn't go very well so I was delighted to see him run so well at the Curragh. He's sure to have come on for that run and he's won around Leopardstown before so I would be very hopeful of a big run.

Fozzy Stack, trainer of Zihba
He's won at Leopardstown before and likes it there. We might not ride him quite as aggressively as last time and but we will still be prominent.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Mohawk and Cape Of Good Hope
Mohawk has had a break since the French Derby and is just about ready to start back. Cape Of Good Hope is having his first run since Belmont but he seems to have come out of that race in good shape.

Dermot Weld, trainer of Tinandali
He has progressed from his win at Navan and, although it's a big step up in class, he's a progressive colt and I'm expecting a big run.

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