BUSH MAIDEN IS FAST ON FAST GROUND

BUSH MAIDEN (36) clocked a time that suggests she's capable of earning some black type when winning a 60-100 handicap at Leopardstown. She's now won three of the four times she's run on ground that has had the word 'firm' in the official description. Her sole loss was a close second to the useful Valentina Guest. It's the right time of year for a fast ground specialist so I'd expect to see her winning again soon.

AN TADH IS GROUP CLASS

AN TADH (38) took a few runs to find form last season, and he's gone and repeated the same thing this time around. After a couple of sub-par runs behind Decado he won a good seven furlong conditions race at Naas in a time that would win many Group races. He probably broke the track record, but track records are not kept in Ireland, so all I can say is that he ran the fastest time for the distance in the last ten years.

It may be that An Tadh is best around a turn. I say this because he would have won his last four starts around a turn but for one narrow defeat by Sandie who went on to run a good fourth in Group 1 company next time. It's really too early to say for sure though. All I can be certain of is that An Tadh is one of the best three year olds in Ireland right now.

HOW GOOD IS COUGAR BAY

COUGAR BAY (37) earned a seriously big speed rating for a maiden winner when scoring at Leopardstown. He'd also run a good race when second to likely Queen's Vase favourite Galient in a very good Newmarket maiden on his seasonal debut. Clearly he's a smart three year old and proved this when going under by just a length to Heliostatic in a Listed race at the Curragh just three days later. My speed ratings indicate the early pace was a bit slow that day so he did well to stay on strongly and get to within a length of the useful Heliostatic. He looks an interesting proposition for the two furlongs longer King Edward VII stakes at Royal Ascot..

NASAFAR (36) finished second to Cougar bay at Leopardstown and is unlikely to remain a maiden for long. Unfortunately he has high profile connections and a pretty big reputation, so you're unlikely to get rich following him.

CHELSEA ROSE GETTING INTERESTING AGAIN

MUSTAMEET (39) is one of those boringly consistent horses that never seems to get their due. Put him over seven furlongs or a mile on any course or going and he'll run fast enough to win a Group 3 or even a Group 2 every single time. He did the job again at Leopardstown to take a hot Listed race from the smart filly CHELSEA ROSE (39). I can see him winning again in Group company soon at decent odds.

Chelsea Rose is now getting interesting again. She lost her unbeaten record at Leopardstown on her fourth start at the course but ran quick enough to win a Group 2 race against fillies while doing so. She has of course already won a Group 1 race and might well do so again. I'm not so sure that she was as unsuited to the nine furlongs of this race as most seem to suppose. She appears remarkably versatile as regards to distance. The only thing she really seems to need is a decent pace.

Chelsea Rose twice ran fast enough to win a Group 1 race against fillies last year. I reckon she can win again at the top level against her own sex, quite possibly in the Pretty Polly Stakes next month.

LUAS LINE (38), another former Group 1 winning filly, ran her fastest ever race according to my ratings to finish a close fourth. She's run a whole string of good races on fast ground and looks a good candidate to win another big race this term. Her turn of foot makes her a hard horse to beat in small fields when she gets the firm ground she needs.

ALBERTINELLI IS PATTERN CLASS

ALBERTINELLI (36) won a mile maiden at the Curragh on his racecourse debut in very good time. Strangely for a Coolmore horse he does not hold any Group race entries. But he certainly belongs in at least Listed class according to my speed ratings and looks a very interesting prospect.

KEMPES KEEPS ON WINNING

It's always hard to tell just how fast a horse is until it loses, especially when it only seems to do enough to win. So I'm wary of saying that the speed rating I awarded KEMPES (36) for his third win in a row at Fairyhouse marks the limit of his abilities. He really could be anything. Certainly I'd be interested in his chances in a good handicap or Listed race. Below that level I wouldn't want to oppose him.

ZACHAROVA IS PATTERN CLASS

ZACHAROVA (37) has clearly improved a great deal from two to three. He's also remarkably versatile. He took a Curragh handicap on desperately heavy ground on his seasonal debut and followed up by winning on lightning fast ground at Leopardstown. He won by several lengths each time. And that's no surprise as he's a pattern class performer according to my speed ratings.

It's hard to tell at this stage just how fast Zacharova is as he has won his two 2006 starts easily. But he is at least Listed class on this run and might well be Group class. He followed up with another win at Naas on Monday and is going to be tough to beat in the near future.

SNAEFELL IS SMART

SNAEFELL (36) won a juvenile maiden in unusually fast time despite apparently spooking at the crowd near the finish. He's clearly held in high regard by his connections who have him entered up in several Group races. My speed ratings say they're right as I rate him the joint fastest two year old we've seen in Ireland so far this term.

Runner-up MOVERA (36) is bred to go longer and looks a very promising filly. She should have no trouble breaking her maiden and has a real shot of earning black type after that, almost certainly at a longer distance.