Two competitive handicaps feature at Leopardstown on Thursday evening and Dermot Weld has a few interesting runners on the card.
Ezanak is the unexposed quantity in the Manguard Plus Handicap and there are reasons to believe he can reverse a piece of Naas form in April with the reopposing Aared.
The well-bred son of Sea The Stars was beaten two and a half lengths by Kevin Prendergast's inmate over the same trip on his seasonal reappearance but is 9lb better off at the weights, when taking into account Gary Halpin's 3lb claim, and the first-time visor may just sharpen him up.
Stable companion Aljunood left a moderate Naas debut well behind when finishing third at Listowel earlier in the month, improving for the step up in distance, and the Bated Breath gelding is well worth another look in the Leopardstown Median Auction Maiden.
The market should tell us more about Luzum on his racecourse introduction in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden but Somerset Maugham, a stoutly-bred son of Galileo, can show the benefit of his run at the Curragh last month for Aidan O'Brien.
Action gets underway at 6.00 with the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race and Rufus King is an interesting overseas representative.
The sole winner in the field, he must concede weight to his rivals but Mark Johnston has enjoyed plenty of success when sending his horses to Ireland and the juvenile is his sole runner on the card.
The Korea Racing Authority Handicap is one of two select but intriguing handicaps for punters to solve and, two wins from her last three starts, A Little Bit Me boasts sound claims.
Jet Streaming could be well treated going handicapping for the first time in the Hamsandwich Apprentice Handicap, while Wood Breizh bids to land the Leopardstown Members Handicap for Willie Mullins, who won the race 12 months ago with Buzz Off Barroso.
