WITHOUT a list of entries from the RDS, it is difficult to know exactly how many entries there are this year in any class, however one fact is crystal clear: the reigning Coote Cup champion Pink Flamingo does not line out in next Saturday’s broodmare classes.

Dessie Gibson’s extravagant-moving grey had won the stinted mare class last August before taking the overall broodmare title. Without a foal at foot - the Silvano mare absorbed last year’s pregnancy - her owner has decided to wait out this year.

Fassagh Lady, Paul Cleary’s Coote Cup reserve champion, is another big-moving grey absentee from Saturday morning’s line-up, as is the now-retired Parkmore Evita who had won the Dublin broodmare championship in 2017.

Vying to regain their broodmare championship crowns are the multi-tasking John Burchill’s Slatequarry Sasha, (champion in 2016) and Yvonne Pearson’s Kief Queen B (2017).

Multi-tasking as this pair are also in The Irish Field Breeders Championship the previous day and the majority of the Championship-qualified mares and foals owners will again aim to maximise their Dublin outing by doubling up in the following day’s classes.

Another example is Paddy and Richard Gildea’s Miss Cranny Lancelot, well-placed in previous lightweight broodmare classes which will be the second class of the morning.

Among the entries for the opening middle/heavyweight mare class is John Roche’s Assagart Mistress and the Kings Master former Coote Cup reserve is one of five broodmare entries from her owner-breeder’s Foulksmill yard.

The Coroner full-sisters Assagart Faithful (another in the Breeders Championship final) and Assagart Harmony are both in the lightweight class while Assagart Velvet (Colin Diamond) and Assagart Fairytale (another by Coroner) are in the stinted mare class.

Also in the latter class, which takes place after the foal classes, are Derry Rothwell’s Financial Reward-sired Greenhall Push Button, reserve supreme champion hunter here in 2019 and now in the breeding paddocks. Her stable companion Greenhall Wishing Well, by Crosstown Dancer, is in the middle/heavyweight class.

Two more confirmed runners in the stinted mare class are Tiernan Gill’s Flogas Liqueur (Barnaby Flight), bred by Rothwell and the filly and traditional champion here as a three-year-old, plus the former Gill charge Oilily. Now owned by Pat Finn, The Entertainer four-year-old is one of several entries by the Oranmore exhibitor.

Slotted in between the mare classes are three foal classes, including the €5,000 class for a foal by a thoroughbred sire or out of a thoroughbred dam.

With no overall foal championship, the sole championship for these Saturday morning classes is the broodmare finale with the winner receiving the Coote Cup.

This year’s mare and foal classes judges are Mrs Pat Stirling from the Scottish Borders and John Poole from Worcestershire.