RACING: Aidan O'Brien is giving himself plenty of options for Saturday's Entenmann's Irish 2,000 Guineas as he goes in search of a fifth success in seven years in the first home Classic of the season.
The Ballydoyle trainer has eight of the 21 horses left in the Guineas including The Catcher In The Rye who has been installed a 5 to 2 favourite by Paddy Power.
However, after The Catcher In The Rye's runner-up placing in the French Guineas, O'Brien didn't rule out a tilt at the Epsom Derby for the colt. Significantly the rest of the Ballydoyle Guineas entry includes Tomahawk, unlucky in the Newmarket Guineas, and last season's brilliant Coventry Stakes winner Statue Of Liberty who has yet to run this year.
Also entered is Great Pyramid, a brother to last year's winner Rock Of Gibraltar, and the Tetrarch winner France. Statue Of Liberty also holds an entry in the Weaterbys Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs on Saturday.
Cashmans took the safe route and priced up the "O'Brien stable" at 4 to 1 joint favourite with Tout Seul to win. That leaves just five non-O'Brien home hopes but the final shape of the race looks sure to feature a strong British challenge with both Indian Haven and Desert Destiny supplemented into the race yesterday for €40,000 each.
Indian Haven's trainer Paul D'Arcy said: "He did a sparkling piece of work on Saturday and that was enough to supplement him. He's an Indian Ridge colt so soft ground should not be a worry." The ground at the Curragh yesterday was "soft" on the straight course and "yielding to soft" on the round track.
That will not be ideal for some of the cross-channel hopefuls who include Zafeen, runner-up to Refuse To Bend at Newmarket, and Tout Seul who was fourth.
Dermot Weld's Evolving Tactics could emerge as the dark horse of the race and the colt, who was briefly in contention for a start in the Kentucky Derby, is a 10 to 1 shot with Cashmans. Weld is also shooting for the big time in Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup with the one time 2002 Derby hope In Time's Eye.
The injury plagued former Derrinstown runner-up is one of just ten left in the Group One race and Weld said: "He could just need it but he is in great shape and I expect a big run."
Jim Bolger and Kevin Prendergast have a triple entry each in Sunday's 1,000 Guineas while Dermot Weld and Aidan O'Brien both have two fillies entered. However Six Perfections is as short as 1 to 3 with Cashmans to become the first French-trained winner of the 1,000 Guineas in 20 years.
Aidan O'Brien's classic week started yesterday with news that the Turf Club are taking no action against him over comments he made regarding the running of Brian Boru in the Derrinstown Derby Trial. After consultation with the stipendiary stewards, it was decided that no breach of Rule 212 had happened and no further action is necessary.
There will be an inspection at Tipperary at 7.30 this morning to see if tomorrow's fixture can go ahead. However the prospects are not bright. The track was unraceable yesterday.
Queens Wharf could be the bet to follow in the hoof prints of Vinnie Roe and win this evening's Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown. The triple Leger winner used the Listed race en route to Melbourne last year but there are unlikely to be such lofty ambitions for tonight's field.
