SIDE WITH HAPPY ME IN BART LEAHY MEMORIAL

Barry Drake

The second round of the €10,000 to the winner Michael (Bart) Leahy A2 Memorial are the standout races at Curraheen Park tonight. 

In the opening heat, Happy Me can record back-to-back winning performances for Shane and Sophie Murphy. The selection ran a couple of big races in the Lee Strand down in Tralee, and he looks laid out for this in recent weeks.

He was forced to pull out all the stops in the closing round, getting the better of Thatsagoodone by a neck, in 28.49. The pacey performer should improve for that run, and he's ideally drawn in trap three. With a quick start expected, the nap selection should bounce out in front and make all the running.

Oriental Diamond, for trainer Denise Ryan, has some decent form in the book, and he caught the eye in the second half of the race last week. That was a big run behind Half Yours, and another big performance is expected. While the likes of Early Home, for trainer Paul Hennessy, is another with claims along the inside of the track.

Ante-post favourite for outright glory, Half Yours, who is trained by Graham Holland for owners Eugene Buckley and Pat Muldoon, can make it four wins from as many starts in the second heat. The December was making his debut over the standard trip last week, and he made no mistakes to win in 28.50. You would expect him to improve on that clock going forward, and the exciting youngster should prove far too strong in this.

Of the others in the line-up, Lennies Jack is interesting along the inside of the track for Paul Hennessy. In the ownership of Lee Craze and John Kennedy Jnr, he has shown plenty of ability in recent runs, but is yet to put it all together. The rails is a massive plus around here, and we may see the best of him tonight.

Trainer Paul Hennessy has won this great event the last twice, and he has another decent team this year. In the third, Priceless Ron, for owners Bryan and Kathleen Murphy, can make it back-to-back wins in the event. The lightly raced selection caught the eye in the opening round, winning in 28.74. He has a nice turn of early speed, and from trap two, he is expected to lead early; if that's the case, he should be hard to peg back.

Code Four, a 28.71 winner last week, and Glengar Blitz, for trainer Corona Ryan and owner Bradley Canty, are others that should be in the mix.

The fourth and final heat is a real puzzle, with plenty in with chances. On the clock, Thatsagoodone should be hard to beat for trainer Jack Kennelly; however, leading early is a must, and there's plenty of early dash on his inside with the likes of Flyers Penney and Ceekay Susie. Just touched off in the opening round, he ran a cracker when just denied by Happy Me, in 28.49. On that run, he should go very close.

Flyers Penney, trained by Colm Fitzgerald for the Flyers Racing Syndicate, was a real eye-catcher in defeat in the opening round, and she's perfectly drawn, next to the rails. She has stunning early speed, and she should give it a good go.

Ceekay Susie, trained by Paul Hennessy for John Naughton, is another with big early speed. She made a winning return to racing action last week, winning in 28.82, and there should be more to come.