THURSDAY HEAT BY HEAT GUIDE - KIRBY ROUND 1

The extra entry for this year's Kirby adds some real spice to the regular Thursday SIS meeting on the Dock Road this week and although at the back-end of the card, no-one will be leaving early ahead of the opening three heats in the 2019 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial as there are some serious outright contenders amongst the 18 hopefuls who will open their campaigns ahead of Saturday's thirteen race Kirby programme.

HEAT 1

	DROOPYS DANNY Templeglantine GAA Without a win but laudable efforts in TRL Juvenile. Stays well, LMK can suit in ideal T1.
	SURE LOOK LISTEN Ballylanders Ladies Football Warm order for WFD unraced final when held but fast heat wins suggest big prospect.
	BALLINTEE BLAZE Fr. Caseys GAA Very smart unraced stake winner WFD, back from layoff. Big scope to improve, market!
	DROOPYS MAC Pallasgreen GAA Looked a prospect in UK career start. Any progress from latest trial can see bold show.
	DROOPYS SIM Ahane GAA A touch unlucky latest but prior NWB Bitch unraced heat win impressed, must respect.
	LENSON ROBIN Monaleen GAA Smart career start & showed big pace in defeat latest. Will rush to bend if trap, chance!

A cracking heat to open the 2019 Kirby and if able to recapture the smart trapping shown in his opening career victories, Paul Kiely's Sure Look Listen could easily have claims to dictate and prove difficult to reel-in if on the bunny.

The welcome UK challenge gets underway here with Paul Young's Droopys Mac and any progress from his latest trial will see him with claims despite a tricky looking draw on the inside of Droopys Sim, although both of these may be glad to be on the inside of Lenson Robin who certainly looked as though he wanted the outside when still running a touch green last time.

The latter possesses powerful pace however and when the penny fully drops, appears to have a big run to come. It would come as little shock should Ballintee Blaze build on his smart novice stake success if sharp after a layoff and he must command respect but for the winner, it may pay to side with last year's winning trainer. Droopys Danny has been showing plenty of pace off slow starts while reaching the Juvenile final at Tralee and a first time pitch on the rails may prove ideal to sneak a run at the opening bends here. 1-2-4

HEAT 2

	TIGER JACK Old Christians GAA Out of luck latest but quality spin around TRL prior says big talent & T1 looks real plus!
	BURKIES ARMY Askeaton GAA Solid career start in warm WFD novice & smart show again latest, more to come, respect!
	BALLYMAC DEVON Killeedy GAA Ran a cracker with plenty traffic in Juvenile final latest. Strong runner if big player here.
	TULLIG FOOTPAD  Athea Ladies Football Highly progressive career start & in cracking form latest. Tough to repel if lead to bend.
	CAMPS STAR Monagea Ladies Football Quality career start in UK & powerful runner can relish LMK if step up on latest trial spin.
	GARRAI RUA Cappagh Handball Better than figures in LMK debut latest after smart CML career start. Can feature if trap.

You just can't expect anything easy in the Kirby and finding winners in the opening heats is going to be trappy but it may pay to side with the extra experience and rock solid form that Tullig Footpad has posted in a very progressive career start. Beaten by a fellow Kirby contender at Shelbourne last time was no disgrace in a flying clock and if he can get loose on the run to the corner now, you would expect him to convert.

There is plenty to like about many of his rivals however and Ballymac Devon did leave the impression that he could be capable of big runs when third in the Tralee Juvenile. He may again have a job on to secure clear racing room but would be a big threat if he did see the hare throughout.

I didn't see Camps Star's trial on Saturday and would have expected a faster effort from the Paul Young star, so maybe there was something to explain the clock there but no doubt his career start in the UK makes him a very interesting Kirby contender and you would expect that his strong running style will suit Limerick well.

Jim Morrissey's Tiger Jack was another with excuses with eliminated from the Juvenile but his fast second round heat win there clearly hints a major ability and could well make use of his rails pitch if swift to stride. 4-3-5

HEAT 3

	WORSEFORWEAR Feohanagh Castlemahon Ladies Football Quality winner of WFD novice stake looks big prospect. Likely ideal draw for LMK debut.
	CLAREGALWAY LAD Ballybricken Bohermore GAA Unbeaten in 4 with smart Trial Stake win latest. Big early battle vs T1, chance if win that.
	FOOD TO GO Caherline GAA Rapid progress to slick novice final win latest. Makes quick switch for Kirby, respected.
	ACE THE RACE Effin GAA Held but far from disgraced latest & any progress from SPK best would bring claim now.
	HERO TO ZERO Dromcollogher Broadford GAA Improved for return from layoff in slick Trial Stake win. Powerful & hard to repel if trap.
	ARGENTINA Galbally GAA Cracking strike-rate in quality UK career start & looks sure to feature from perfect draw.

Another quality heat that should attract many to the Dock Road for an out of the ordinary Thursday meeting and the natural starting point is the fastest Limerick Trial Stake winner Hero To Zero. The Pat Curtin youngster was superb here when posting 28.39, almost three weeks ago and earns the vote.

He may however have to sweat for an early run for while the venue will certainly suit his strong running style in the overall Kirby picture, he is likely to be doing his best work from the second bend so investment at short odds for heat wins should be approached with caution. Still, he would be a runner for an outright flutter as I expect him to prove difficult to keep out of the places.

Peter Cronin's recent Waterford novice stake winner Worseforwear is an obvious threat and probably has his ideal draw on the fence. A bold show is expected and he rates the main threat but he will have to be sharp for although Claregalway Lad has not yet broken the clock, he screams imminent improvement as a member of a smart litter and possesses slick early dash which gives him claims to possibly lead in what may be a tight tussle on the inside.

Following a string of top class displays for Kevin Hutton in the UK, most particularly at Romford, Argentina returns home for a plausible tilt at the Kirby under the guidance of Martin Lanney. Ideally drawn, he looks a natural wide seed (as last year's winner was) and his smart early dash could well see him lead the likely favourite on the outside. Another serious contender in a hot heat where the rapidly improving Food To Go must too merit respect despite a very tricky looking draw. 5-1-6