Johnny Ward's best bets for The Curragh on Saturday

It was a pleasure to have Shane Foley on the On The Wire Derby special this weekend – our timing was as good as some of his rides.

“Dusty” returns from injury for a wonderful weekend of racing at hHeadquarters and, in Sprewell, he has a legitimate each-way player in the big one on Sunday.

I think Saturday’s action represents even better card for a wager. I will be mingling with the great and the better, including some Racing TV guests from England, on Sunday. Do say hello if our paths meet.

Here are four for Saturday.

Donnacha O'Brien has a cracking strike-rate this season with his juveniles, notably winning the Albany with Porta Fortuna, and this Galileo-bred is an interesting each-way play. Considering he was ridden prominently; it was unusual how much trouble he met on debut here at The Curragh when eased down into seventh behind Islandsinthestream. Given his pedigree he should be a good bit wiser for that run. I fancy he can turn the tables on School Of Law, who was second in that Curragh contest, and go close.

Clearly, this horse is not the easiest ride. He hung left when winning his maiden just over a year ago and he seemed to lug right at The Curragh last time, but he travelled like a smart horse. Five furlongs seemed inadequate, and he was still beaten less than a length. It appears significant that Joseph O'Brien sticks with Conor Stone-Walsh, who is a former top pony rider who has had a superb season but still claims 7lb.

It's worth noting how well this horse ran in last year’s renewal of this race, which turned out to be rather controversial. She is exceptionally reliable and if they go hard enough, she might even win what looks a similar class of race. Paddy Twomey has a 40 per cent strike-rate with horses aged four and older this season.

Unless this horse is badly undercooked, he's surely an odds-on chance in a run-of-the-mill Group Three. He was no way keen in his races at two and he's a stone-wall certainty to get this trip on pedigree, so he should win, especially as his trainer said last year he was one who was built to do much better with age.