However, Declan McDonogh's mount, who must give away weight to all bar two of his rivals, faces a stiff task against a strong, three-pronged overseas challenge from Ralph Beckett's Johnny Jumpup, Steenburg, and the Mick Channontrained Turnkey, not to mention Indesatchel and Ad Valorem.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has already warned that the ground conditions will be against Ad Valorem, who finished third in last season's Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July, but he remains the one they all have to beat.

Indesatchel could be the one to give him most to do, and David Wachman's confirmed soft ground specialist gets the vote to prove superior at the business end. The selection is a thoroughly game performer, who acquitted himself well at the highest level last term, including a second placing in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Wachman's horses seem to be well forward at this early stage of the season, and that augurs well for Indesatchel's chances against the smart five-year-old Mustameet and Ad Valorem.

With an impressive win under his belt on the opening day of the new campaign to his credit, few punters will be willing to oppose Indesatchel's stable-companion Danehill Music in the listed Oak Lodge Sires Loughbrown Stakes.

Kevin Prendergast's Cheddar Island landed a gamble on the opening day of the season, and should be worth following on his first venture into handicap company in the Four Star Keadeen Hotel Handicap. Flying Rani and Michikabu, meanwhile, would appear to be the two principals in the P.G. Duffy & Sons Citroen EBF Fillies Maiden.

Flying Rani, from the Declan Gillespie stable, occupied the second spot in a seven furlong maiden on the all-weather at Wolverhampton last December, while Michikabu should revel in the ground conditions after going down by a neck to Decado in a Leopardstown maiden on heavy ground in November.

The Tommy Stack-trained Tolpuddle ran a cracker under his burden of topweight in the Irish Lincoln, and can step up on that effort at the expense of Cairdeas and Arch Rebel.

Racing also takes place at Tramore this afternoon, where Ruby Walsh is fancied to land the Waterford & Tramore Directors Chase with his old friend Macs Flamingo, and the Crobally Beginners Chase for Francis Flood on Natural Storm.