Racing:Watering continued at the Curragh ahead of this weekend's two-day Guineas meeting to maintain the ground at good to firm. However, officials at the Co Kildare track are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast which suggests some rain is likely before the end of the week.
“We’re having another dry day so we’re watering just to maintain good to firm ground and keeping an eye on the forecast for the remainder of the week,” racecourse manager Paul Hensey explained. “We’ll call the watering situation as time goes by. Speaking to the Met Office this morning, they are saying we are going to get two to three millimetres of rain between now and Friday.
“But they are indicating there could be up to six to eight millimetres of rainfall come Saturday morning, so we will just have to watch that. If the rain comes, they are forecasting it may bring the ground back to good - if it doesn’t come it will be good to firm on Saturday and we may then water on Saturday night.
“It’s a bit of a quandary at the moment.”
Pat Fahy, meanwhile, is expecting a big run from Ballybacka Lady in Sunday’s Irish 1,000 Guineas. The Hurricane Run filly was a surprise winner of the Derrinstown Stud-sponsored Trial at Leopardstown earlier this month.
Better known as a jumps trainer, Fahy, who is hopeful Fran Berry will take the ride again, said: “Ballybacka Lady will run as long as the ground is not too soft. She’s done well since Leopardstown having been eased off with a view to freshening her up.
“I don’t know if Fran will ride again — it depends if the ground is very quick and if Laughing Lashes runs then he rides her, so I will then have to look for another jockey.
“It’s amazing having a horse going into a race like this — very different anyway. I had a filly who used to run in Group races but she wasn’t good enough to win or even go close. Myself and the owners are so lucky. If the ground is suitable for her and with the form that she is in, she’ll be bang there at the furious end.”
Fahy’s most notable previous success on the Flat came with Quadco in the GPT Handicap at Galway in 2002.