Roscommon betting tips: Peter O'Hehir's selections for…

Roscommon betting tips: Peter O'Hehir's selections for Monday's horse racing action

The Dermot Weld-trained Masaff should be tough to beat in the listed Lenabane Stakes in Roscommon.

The traditional feature of the track’s flat programme, the Lenabane has attracted a disappointing field of only five.

But it affords 105-rated Masaff a golden chance to register his first success since scoring on his debut at Leopardstown last year.

Later in his juvenile campaign, he ran creditably to finish third behind Madhmoon and Broome in a Group 2 at Leopardstown and went down narrowly to Guaranteed in a listed event at the same track on the final day of the season.

Masaff has run twice this season, finishing third to Western Australia in the listed Yeats Stakes at Navan before filling sixth position behind Twilight Payment in the Group 2 Curragh Cup.

Today, Weld’s charge drops back in trip and wears a hood for the first time. And, if he can recapture his best two-year-old form, he’ll have enough to win.

The opening two-year-old maiden will probably develop into a father and son duel as Aidan O’Brien’s Kells – green when fifth on debut behind Zarziyna at Gowran Park – faces Potala Palace, representing Joseph, who registered a treble with Syrena, Fancy Footings and Jumellea in Limerick yesterday.

This colt finished sixth to Law Breaker on his debut at Fairyhouse and stepped-up significantly to be beaten a length by Justifier in a far more competitive maiden in Leopardstown.

Although Kells should improve significantly from his Gowran Park experience, Potala Palace’s form looks rock solid. And he gets the vote.

A dual-winner at Dundalk and placed on his last two starts on turf, the Michael Halford-trained Sky Seven is napped to defy top-weight in the Roscommon Herald Handicap.

Collared late by Cnoc An Oir on his penultimate start, this fellow filled third spot behind Agent Zigzag at the Curragh last time and has been found a good opportunity to register his first win on grass.

And Jerandme, winner of two bumpers and successful in a maiden hurdle on this track, sets the standard in the concluding Budweiser Maiden.

Beaten by a useful sort in Doctor Duffy in a long-distance maiden hurdle in Kilbeggan last time, Noel Meade’s charge had earlier failed by a length to Royal Illusion in this type of event in Leopardstown.

That form was then boosted when the winner followed-up in Bellewstown, beating, among others, his highly-rated stable-companion Mr Adjudicator.