John Oxx has warned that soft ground could yet scupper the chances of his top filly Arch Swing attempting to gain revenge on Finsceal Beo in the Boylesports Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Arch Swing was runner-up to Finsceal Beo in an all-Irish finish to the Newmarket Guineas 12 days ago despite an unsuitable high draw not helping her chances. Oxx immediately committed Arch Swing to a Curragh re-match in nine days time but the local trainer added yesterday that he would not risk her on soft ground.
"The one negative with her is that she is pretty ground dependant. Ideally she wants good to firm but with the forecast for broken weather over the weekend and into next week, we will have to see what we get. If it turns up on the slow side of good, then we would probably run anyway but if it comes up soft then it would be pretty definite that she wouldn't run. She simply wouldn't be as effective on it," Oxx said.
Finsceal Beo's subsequent defeat in the French Guineas has opened up the fillies mile division again and Oxx is keen to have another crack at the Jim Bolger- trained rival. "Everything has been fine with our horse since Newmarket. There have been no negatives," he added. "From what I read, both Jim and Kevin (Manning) thought the ground went too soft for Finsceal Beo in France and it will be easier this time for her to just come up the road rather than go to another country. Certainly if the ground suits us, it suits her too."
Another top Irish filly on track for the Curragh is last weekend's Leopardstown winner Alexander Tango and Tommy Stack's son and assistant, Fozzy, said yesterday: "She has come out of her last run very well and we will probably go for the Guineas now."
Stack added that the $750,000 Grade One American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 7th is a possible option for Alexander Tango afterwards.
The Newmarket 2,000 Guineas hero Cockney Rebel is gearing up to try and become the first since Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) to complete the Newmarket-Guineas double after impressing his trainer Geoff Huffer in the last week. "He worked brilliantly on Saturday, he's in sparkling form and he is ready to rock n'roll. I really think this horse could be a legend," Huffer said yesterday.
The third Group One feature over the Guineas weekend will be the Tattersalls Gold Cup for which the Irish Derby winner Dylan Thomas is likely to start favourite.
Aidan O'Brien's immediate Group One focus, however, will be on Newbury tomorrow where last year's French Guineas runner-up, Marcus Andronicus, will take his chance in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes.
The Michael Stoute-trained Peeress is a likely favourite to try and repeat her success of last year in the race while other fillies set to take part are the Matron winner Red Evie and last year's Guineas heroine Speciosa.
This evening's action is at Cork where Sorolla can finally get off the mark with victory in the 10 furlong maiden.
Sorolla looked a colt with a future here last month when only just failing to bet Chariots Of Fire over a mile but has since been beaten twice by both Consul General and Eyshal.
There doesn't appear to be anything of that calibre against him now and although the trip is virgin territory, a return to a flat track should be ideal.
Scupio has been gelded since his last run and it will be interesting to see how he goes in the opener while If Paradise was beaten less than a length by That's Hot on his last start and can make his presence felt in the sprint handicap.
