Horse Racing: Aidan O'Brien will take on the brilliant English colt Three Valleys with all guns blazing in Sunday's Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
The Ballydoyle trainer left in a remarkable nine of the 12 remaining entries for the first juvenile Group One of 2003.
The only other challengers are the Kevin Prendergast-trained Wathab and Notable Lady from the Neville Callaghan yard.
However, despite O'Brien describing the Anglesey Stakes winner One Cool Cat as a "definite possible" for the race, the bookmakers believe Three Valleys is all but past the post already. Cashmans make the Coventry winner a 2 to 5 favourite and quote the entire O'Brien nine at 7 to 4. Wathab is a 14 to 1 shot, with Notable Lady on 33 to 1.
O'Brien has an awesome record in the Phoenix, having won it for the last five years with the likes of Johannesburg, Fasliyev and Spartacus last year. Yesterday he said: "We will definitely run more than one because it is important to support the race. One Cool Cat is a definite possible and he is a horse we think highly of. But I would hate to say one is more likely than the other at this stage."
The other Ballydoyle contenders include Old Deuteronomy, The Mighty Tiger and Devil Moon who all ran at Goodwood last week.
"The ground at Goodwood was beautiful and they are all fine after it. For these Storm Cat and Danehill colts the ground couldn't be fast enough," O'Brien added.
The going at the Curragh was good yesterday and track manager Paul Hensey hasn't ruled out starting to water today.
"We have had a sunny day with a drying wind and there are thundery showers forecast for tonight. If they don't come we will have to assess the situation as regards watering," Hensey said.
That isn't good news for the possible return of the double Derby winner High Chaparral in Sunday's Group Two Royal Whip Stakes. "He couldn't be in better form with himself but with the problems he has had he will need safe ground," said O'Brien.
Sixteen others are left in the Royal Whip, including last year's first and second, Chancellor and Sights On Gold, as well as the Group One winner Olden Times and Ikhtyar from the John Gosden yard. Sixteen of the 25 left in the Group Three Phoenix Sprint are trained in Britain, but the six-furlong dash could see the return of Michael Halford's Greenlands Stakes winner Miss Emma.
Michael Kinane has won the Phoenix Stakes four times, but this evening he is in Fairyhouse where the champion jockey looks to have good prospects.
Suntory is 3lb higher for a Leopardstown success but could still land the sprint handicap. Kinane looks a significant booking for Avec Plaisir in the nine furlong handicap.
The Francis Flood-trained four-year-old was beaten last time, but previous to that was a good second to the Kinane ridden Key To The Kingdom on fast ground at Tipperary.
John Murtagh has chosen to ride High Day, sixth to Catcher In The Rye in its only start in March, in the Auction Race, but it's hard to argue with Kurbaan's 91 rating.
Over at Sligo, the Hong Kong jockey Stanley Chin, a Group One winner in Germany at the weekend, rides Time To Roam for Dermot Weld in the mile and six maiden, but preference is for Polly Anthus.
Sue N Win, runner up to the 25 to 1 Mickey Campbell at Galway last week, looks the obvious pick in the bumper.
