NEWS:SAOIRSE ABU was a shock winner over Henrythenavigator on soft ground in last year's Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes but Art Connoisseur will have very different going on his side in Sunday's big race at the Curragh.

Like Aidan O'Brien's superstar colt, Art Connoisseur will come into the first Group One of the European season for two-year-olds as an impressive winner of Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes.

The Michael Bell-trained colt is already a 12 to 1 favourite for next year's 2,000 Guineas and will have his favoured fast surface at the Curragh, where watering is due to begin today on the back of forecasts of a mini-heatwave this week.

"We're being told to expect temperatures of 25 to 26 degrees," said the Curragh manager Paul Hensey yesterday. "We are already good-to-firm here and I would expect we will be something similar on Sunday. We intend to water cautiously as we keep an eye on the weather."

Art Connoisseur is expected to be a warm favourite for the Phoenix Stakes after today's forfeit stage and Bell yesterday gave an upbeat bulletin on his new star.

"He is very much on target for Sunday and is in very good health," he said. "He seems in great form with himself."

O'Brien has a number of entries to choose from and the Coolmore syndicate also look like having the Anglesey Stakes winner Bushranger on their side as they attempt to re-establish their grip on the race.

Saoirse Abu brought to an end a remarkable streak of nine successive victories in the race for the Coolmore team, which included Damson's 2004 triumph for Bushranger's trainer David Wachman.

O'Brien has indicated that his Railway Stakes winner Mastercraftsman is a possible runner.

After his narrow win on Irish Derby day, O'Brien suggested yesterday the colt would not mind a step up in distance: "He probably won't mind seven furlongs but that doesn't mean he won't be fine at six. He's a possible runner along with the filly that ran in the Cherry Hinton (Heart Shaped) and maybe one other."

The champion trainer has won the Phoenix Stakes eight times.

Art Connoisseur will try to become the first British-trained winner since Princely Heir in 1997, but Thursday evening's Group Three Tyros Stakes may be without an overseas raider as Karl Burke indicated yesterday his Coventry third, Lord Shankill, is likely to miss the race.

The Leopardstown ground was firm yesterday morning, so watering was started. "We are being told to expect temperatures in the 20s so it looks like staying dry for a change," said the course manager Tom Burke.

Willie Mullins has decided to appeal against the decision of the Killarney stewards last week to disqualify Cler from a dead-heat with Grantsville from Thursday's Dawn Milk Run Handicap Hurdle. It will be heard on Thursday morning at the Turf Club. Cler was placed second to Grantsville after causing interference before the final flight.

That will be held before the appeal of Curtain Call's connections into the Irish Derby result.

The Luca Cumani-trained colt looked to be the worst-affected of those interfered with by the fourth horse, Alessandro Volta, but was controversially not promoted.