Lucky fancied for Group 3 glory The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Athasi Stakes is the feature on a seven race card as the Curragh opens its gates for the third time this year on Sunday, with the action getting underway at 2.30.The Group 3 event has attracted a somewhat disappointing line-up of six runners both in terms of quantity and quality, and there is an even split between three-year-olds and the older horses. The younger generation may prove best to concentrate on with Megec Blis and the Aidan O´Brien-trained Lucky renewing rivalry following an encounter already this season at Leopardstown.Megec Blis came out best on that occasion in a fillies maiden but Lucky has since won easily on testing ground at Tipperary, and may now progress past Dermot Weld´s charge.The Gerrardstown House Stud Heritage Stakes is an altogether more competitive affair with 11 declared for this mile Listed race. Napper Tandy made a pleasing start to this year´s campaign when runner-up to Brian Boru over ten furlongs at Leopardstown last month, and can now go one better over this shorter trip.Jim Bolger may also have the answer to the Go Racing at Newmarket With turftours.com Handicap with Ciel. The top-weight ran a cracker on her Irish debut at Leopardstown last Sunday when beating all bar Leos Shuil, and may now have most to fear from easy Tipperary winner Persian Knight.O´Brien introduced In Excelsis, a son of Fusiachi Pegasus, to justify short-priced favouritism at Tipperary on Thursday, and the master of Ballydoyle can take the opening juvenile maiden with another son of the first-season sire, Wuthering Heights.Alan Magee
