Pique Sous© Photo Healy Racing
Pique Sous makes his first appearance since striking Royal Ascot gold almost two years ago at the Curragh today.
The Willie Mullins-trained grey provided the Supreme Horse Racing Club with a day members will never forget when landing the Queen Alexandra Stakes under Ryan Moore in 2014, but he has since been sidelined by injury.
Moore is on board once more as the nine-year-old makes his return over a mile and a half in the Hanlon Concrete Handicap but connections expect him to benefit from the run ahead of a potential return to Berkshire next month.
Steve Massey, racing manager for the owners, said: "It's very exciting to have him back.
"He hasn't had any serious problems, just a couple of niggles that came at the wrong time as he has to have good ground.
"It's a big ask for him to win first time out, but he's in good form and hopefully it will be onwards to Royal Ascot after this for the Queen Alexandra again.
"He's a couple of years older now, but he has low mileage on the clock and owes us nothing.
"It's great to have Ryan on board again, having won on him at Royal Ascot. I'm sure he'll be able to tell us where we stand afterwards."
Pique Sous features in a 15-runner field that also includes Pat Fahy's smart mare Ballybacka Queen and Dermot Weld's Leopardstown winner Alveena
The opening race of the afternoon is the Lester Piggott FBD Hotels & Resorts European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden.
Aidan O'Brien runs Brave Anna How and Sweetasever while Hunaina is a respected newcomer from Mick Halford's stable.
The best of those with previous experience is perhaps the Michael O'Callaghan-trained Magical Fire who shaped with plenty of promise on her Naas introduction a week and a half ago.
Plenty of familiar names contest the BAM Handicap.
Sprinting stalwarts Russian Soul Bubbly Bellini and In Salutem do battle over the six furlongs, but perhaps the one to beat is last year's winner Master Speaker
