All eyes and attention will be on the $1.75-million Distinctly Irish Trophy feature race this afternoon and, on paper, it is all about one horse — five-year-old bay horse Barnaby.

A field of six runners will go to post for the Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward over 9 furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m), but this is the Anthony Nunes show, with four of the six carrying the barn’s flag. And the leader of that quartet is Barnaby, who will have King Piye, Miss Grove, and Neo Star as company.

Barnaby, he is the class of the race, full stop. On July 25, he ran a cracker to finish third in the $10-million Diamond Mile behind Phenomenal Power and Girvano, stopping the clock in a fast 1:36.3 for a mile (1,600m).

He was staying on at the end that day, suggesting this extended two-turn trip will be right up his alley. Rewind to April 26, and he won over this exact distance — 9 furlongs and 25 yards — in a decent 1:54.2, coming from off the pace to put away the field by 6 lengths.

The key here? Barnaby is coming in fresh, 63 days rest since the Diamond Mile and Nunes has freshened him up beautifully, and the reports from the exercise track in the mornings are glowing.

He has been training well, moving with purpose, and looking every inch a graded stakes horse. He will get the perfect set-up too. Stablemates Miss Grove and Neo Star will ensure there is no loafing up front, and when Raddesh Roman asks him at the top of the lane to go, he is expected to put these away easily.

The contest is positioned as the seventh event on the 10-race card with a post time of 3:45 pm. Firs race is at 11:45 am.

Don Kwesi, from the barn of Barrington Bernard looks the only danger to Barnaby. He was the disqualified winner last time when beating Sensational Soul and Run Julie Run on August 22. He has been training well, and the distance is not any issue for this son of Sensational Slam. If Barnaby stubs his toe, Don Kwesi is the one who will capitalise. He should give the favourite most to do here.

Run Julie Run, one of the most consistent runners in the line-up, should also have a say here. She was third behind Don Kwesi — disqualified — and Sensational Soul over 7 1/2 furlongs (1,500m) on August 22. Prior to that, she won the Mark My Word Trophy over this very distance on July 16 in an excellent 1:52.2.That course-and-distance win gives her a big say for the exacta. She will be running on late for second or third.

The rest of the runners are only here to test the deepest of the water.

King Piye is only in here to make up numbers for the barn. He has no chance whatsoever of winning or impacting the outcome, but his job is crucial — ensure that enough runners are in the field so that race can be run.

Miss Grove is expected to be left behind in this one. She backs up in just 7 days after finishing fourth on September 19. She is a pace-maker for the barn.

Neo Star has no winning chance. He is the fourth string of the Nunes entry and is here to round out the field.

Barnaby is the class, Barnaby is fresh, Barnaby is the bet. Don Kwesi never beat him on talent, and given Barnaby’s two-month rest, he is not expected to beat him here.

Ones to watch:

Race 1) Don’t Tell Lou Lou/Shelly The Rocket/Another Mission

Race 2) Big Stack/Ahwhodat/Many

Race 3) Gallant Groom/Bigger Boss/Hazelnut

Race 4) Money Box/I Am Fred/Titan Tempo

Race 5) Goodbyefirefly/Emperorofthecats/Norblar

Race 6) Life is Life/Laban/Storm

Race 7) Barnaby/Don Kwesi/Run Julie Run

Race 8) Fred The Master/Confidence Is High/Four Thirty

Race 9) Fit to Fir/Of A Revolution/Wall Street Trader

Race 10) D.O.K/Green Paint/Mr Carter