IRISH 1,000 GUINEAS PREVIEW: Her namesake has never won a title but Kournakova could end up the punters choice for tomorrow's Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Kournakova, named after the Russian tennis player, is one of five Aidan O'Brien-trained runners in the race where stamina could end up being more of a factor than usual for a mile classic.
The apparent main Ballydoyle hope is Quarter Moon who is expected to improve for her fifth at Newmarket.
Michael Kinane has chosen to ride the Moyglare winner but the jockey has got it wrong in the big races before, notably in the 1,000 Guineas last year.
Seamus Heffernan stepped in for the winning ride on Imagine on ground that rode soft and the similarities are there again.
Like Imagine, Kournakova was beaten in the Athasi and gave the impression she would come on for the run. And like Imagine, the mile on testing conditions should not bother her.
The same can hardly be said for the French Guineas heroine Zenda who has been supplemented at a cost of €38,000: nor can it be said for Gossamer, the beaten favourite at Newmarket.
"It didn't pan out for her that day. She was a bit far back in a slow run race. It was a big ask and then she stumbled as well," said Gossamer's trainer Luca Cumani yesterday.
Alasha ran third at Newmarket and the undulations of the track were blamed for her defeat. It will be interesting to see how she fares up the Curragh straight.
The last French-trained winner was L'Attrayante in 1983 and Andre Fabre has supplemented the Poluiches fifth Heat Haze. Wrong Key, fourth in France, has also been supplemented.
Dermot Weld has won the race twice and this time has both Saranac Lake and Rum Charger, the latter coming from a nightmare run in the French Guineas where she was struck into.
Strictly on Athasi form, Rum Charger has two lengths in hand of Kournakova but the 1,000 Guineas is usually a very different ball game. At a general 14 to 1, the O'Brien filly looks a reasonable bet.
Nayef is a fascinating visitor for the Tatts Gold Cup, a race that in the last two seasons has been won by Fantastic Light and Montjeu.
Nayef put up an imperious performance in Dubai to win the Sheema Classic where he looked a different horse even to the one that ended last year winning the Champion Stakes.
Tobougg lost a shoe in that Sheema Classic and along with Rebelline, he might give most to do to the apparent good thing.
Aidan O'Brien has used the opener to unveil the talents of King Of Kings and Bernstein in the past and this time he relies on the Peintre Celebere colt, Kimberley Mine.
