The eyes of so many will be firmly fixed on the All-Ireland Hurling Final at Croke Park but for those without an interest Killarney has a seven race all-jumps programme on offer.
Action is set to commence at 2.45 with the ladbrokes.com Hurdle being the main event.
Ansar reverts to the minor obstacles for the first time since finishing runner-up in the John James McManus Memorial Hurdle at Tipperary last October.
Of course his bid to emulate Tipperary Boy by winning the Galway Plate for a third time, failed, with an honourable runner-up placing to Far From Trouble at Ballybrit early last month.
A seven time winner at Galway, including in the showcase hurdle there five years ago, Dermot Weld's terrifically durable and versatile gelding acts well on a sound surface but his ability to handle soft ground will most likely be called into play here.
With an official rating of 138, Ansar stands head and shoulders above four of his five rivals, the exception being, Adamant Approach.
Willie Mullins' admirable veteran has been very busy this year and he is having his thirteenth start of 2006 in this two and a half miler.
He had four outings last month and showed himself to be almost as good as he ever was with a sixth placing in the Galway Hurdle, a seventh placing behind his stable companion Diego Garcia on the Saturday of that Festival and only last Monday the twelve-year-old son of Mandalus ran fifth, just five and a half lengths off the gambled-on Maxxium at Tralee.
Weld and Ruby Walsh, rider of Ansar, could also be in the winner's enclosure half-an-hour earlier courtesy of Le Leopard.
The Theatrical gelding hasn't competed at this game since winning his maiden at Downpatrick all of two years ago. However he has been in excellent fettle on the level of late, victorious in his last three, the latest of which came at the aforementioned Co. Down circuit on Monday last.
He was rated 83 going into that contest and a seven length beating of the useful Do The Trick is likely to see that mark rise significantly.
A hurdle rating of 111 seems fair enough then and the danger could be Deise Dreamer, who followed-up her Tipperary win when beating the well-regarded Querido at the Tramore Festival. She appears to be a mare on an upward curve and as such she is a dangerous rival to all.
Ruby Walsh, is fancied to register a treble on the afternoon. He teams up with Adamant Approach's stable companion, Ebony Shades in the novice hurdle.
This likely favourite left the form of two poor runs on the level at the Galway Festival well behind him when easily getting off the mark over hurdles in a very ordinary contest at Wexford nine days ago.
He might not have beaten much but there was a lot to like about the style of that victory and with Willie Mullins firing-in the winners, the Bob Back gelding is worth chancing.
