Irish Racing Weekend previews: Just as soon as the winter game has reached its peak, the summer sport kicks into gear at the Curragh tomorrow and some of flat racing's star names will be straight into action.
Jamie Spencer will have his first ride as stable jockey to Aidan O'Brien on the Danehill colt Russian Blue in the opening two-year-old race but his real focus may be on the post-race action as the winter favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, One Cool Cat, and the Epsom Derby market leader, Yeats, are both scheduled to take racecourse gallops.
The Ballydoyle team have traditionally used the Curragh for such work-outs and top-flight winners such as High Chaparral and Hawk Wing have used the chance to exercise ahead of big days.
O'Brien has already indicated that One Cool Cat, a dual Group One winner last year, is a substantially heavier colt than he was as a two-year-old, so tomorrow could be a vital stage in his preparation for a first start of the season at Newmarket.
The Ballydoyle trainer's great rivals Dermot Weld and John Oxx are taking different routes to the English Guineas, however.
Weld has nominated Leopardstown's 2,000 Guineas Trial for Grey Swallow's first start at three and Oxx could now do the same for his unbeaten Beresford winner Azamour.
"We will wait for decent ground with Azamour, which means that the Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on April 4th is probably unlikely, so a week later at Leopardstown could be a better option," he said yesterday. "He is entered in the Guineas and that is in our minds as a possible race for him but he would like a run beforehand. We will have to play it by ear because he has to improve a fair bit to figure in a Guineas. But all the horses seem fit and well and pretty forward," Oxx added.
It was a similar story from nearby at Rosewell House, where Dermot Weld said: "I think all horses in Ireland this year are pretty forward. It's been a pretty mild winter by Irish standards."
Day One of the new term features the 85,000 Lincolnshire, the Listed Park Express Stakes and a Jumps-versus-Flat-jockeys challenge that will include the Cheltenham winners Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty.
As always, however, there will be a lot of interest in the two-year-old maiden that kicks the whole thing off.
Russian Blue is one of the few Ballydoyle two-year-olds to be even named yet and is supposedly no star, while Weld is hoping for no more rain for his runner, Dateline.
Kevin Prendergast's Rambo is reportedly forward but the real whisper this year appears to be about the Ger Lyons-trained Monashee Mountain colt Shamoan.
Prendergast could have a very good afternoon despite that. Yeats fans will be looking for a good run from Eldorado in the last while Mufradat is bred to improve at three and looks worth a look in the six-furlong maiden.
However, it will be Takrice in the Park Express Stakes that can give the classic crop an early boost. Soft ground should not be a problem for this smart filly, who gets 20lb from the top weight, Dossier.
Tolpuddle is the unknown quantity in the Lincoln having won his sole start to date at Tipperary last July. He is, however, highly regarded and a good run is expected.
