RACING: The Curragh authorities are desperately hoping for more dry weather to alter ground conditions that some bookmakers believe might yet rule out the hot favourite George Washington from Saturday's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Despite a bright day the going on the straight course at the Curragh remained officially "heavy" yesterday and although the big race sponsors still make George Washington a 4 to 11 favourite to become just the fifth colt to complete the English-Irish Guineas double in modern times, other firms were not so confident.
Paddy Power quote George Washington at 1 to 3 "with a run" while Cashmans go the same price about the entire Ballydoyle entry which currently comprises nine of the 19 horses left in, including the French Guineas winner Aussie Rules.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien has said the plan all along has been to run the brilliant colt in the Irish Guineas but that a final call would be made closer to the race. The 48-hour declarations for the opening Irish classic of 2006 will be made this morning.
"They did pull George Washington out of the Dewhurst last year at a very late stage due to soft ground and we have to keep that in mind," a Cashmans spokesman said yesterday.
A Paddy Power spokesman went even further and said: "With the ground the way it is at the moment we are of the opinion he won't run which is why we are betting with a run."
As a result, the French Guineas winner Aussie Rules has been introduced to the betting as a general 8 to 1 shot. However, the gambled on runner in the ante-post market is another O'Brien trained horse, Hurricane Cat.
A 33 to 1 shot early on Tuesday he is now as low as 5 to 1 with Paddy Power and O'Brien-trained second strings such as Saffron Walden (1999) and Black Minnaloushe (2002) have been successful in the Irish Guineas in the past.
News on Sunday's 1,000 Guineas centred yesterday on the confirmation that the Newmarket Guineas runner-up Confidential Lady will take her chance in the Irish fillies classic.
The Mark Prescott-trained filly is a general 5 to 1 second favourite behind another cross-channel trained runner, Short Dance, and will be trying to go one better than when second to Speciosa earlier in the month.
"The owners have agreed to run at the Curragh and she is a confirmed runner," a spokesman for Prescott said yesterday.
Significantly Confidential Lady won on testing ground at Deauville last year but the filly the punters wanted yesterday was the favourite Short Dance who won so impressively at York last week. She is now a 7 to 2 market leader from 4 to 1.
A four-strong team from the Britain now appears likely for the 1,000 Guineas with the Newmarket third Naheej also a likely traveller, alongside Don't Dily Daly.
The going on the round course at the Curragh was still "soft" yesterday but the track manager Paul Hensey reported: "If we get a couple of more dry days together there could be significant improvement."
After a three-day blank due to the bad weather, racing at home beings again this evening at Clonmel where the man to follow in the opening two races could be the champion jockey Pat Smullen who has a pair of Montjeu fillies to ride.
Smullen is on Reside in the opening fillies maiden and although this one's debut second at Ballinrobe was hardly earth shattering, she should improve for the experience and the step up to a mile and a quarter.
Soft ground shouldn't be a problem for Gane Cathriona in the following mile and a quarter handicap and with a winter under her belt this filly can start to fulfil some of the potential she showed as a juvenile.
A handicap mark of 65 might just be something of blot in this company despite the presence of the Tipperary third Piltown.
