UK raider Totally Charming can take Lincolnshire at the Curragh under champion Colin Keane

Totally Charming can kick off the flat season in style at the Curragh today

Michael Verney

The Irish Flat season kicks back into action today, with the €100,000 Irish Lincolnshire (3.25) the showpiece event at the Curragh.

Another tricky puzzle awaits punters in this 27-runner event, where Ado McGuinness, winner of this race in 2020, saddles a whopping eight runners, but it could ultimately come down to two British raiders.

Totally Charming and Lattam are at opposite ends of the handicap, but the former is particularly interesting with conditions set to play to his strengths – as well as having champion jockey Colin Keane in the saddle.

Totally Charming, trained by George Boughey, revelled in the heavy going when taking his last start at Doncaster in October. The five-year-old, despite a hefty weight, should be primed for this prize and may come home best. The William Haggas-trained Lattam has just four starts to his name – he scored in two novice events before struggling in handicap company – and is open to huge improvement under Chris Hayes, but Totally Charming can get the job done.

The Irish Racing Writers Carmel Kirwan And Loretta O’Hanlon Memorial Madrid Handicap (3.45) is the highlight at Naas tomorrow, where Ryan Moore, who partners Aidan O’Brien’s Curragh juvenile winner Paddington, clocks up some air miles to make it to the Kildare track.

Moore is busy at the Dubai World Cup today in Meydan, where he also partners Order Of Australia for O’Brien with the six-year-old vying for the €2,850,000 first prize in the Group One Dubai Turf (3.10).

O’Brien and Moore also hold leading claims in the Group Two UAE Derby (1.50) with Cairo – the pair also combine with Broome in the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup (12.40) – while the Johnny Murtagh-trained Ladies Church goes in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1.15) under Ben Coen.

In Australia, Joseph O’Brien saddles Cleveland in today’s Group One Tancred Stakes (5.40) at Rosehill, while closer to home in the jumps sphere, the opening maiden hurdle (1.40) at Limerick tomorrow looks primed for the Emmet Mullins-trained Feronily.

Fourth in a Grade Two at Kelso earlier this month, Donagh Meyler’s mount should take some stopping after stepping back in class.