RACING:THE AIDAN O'Brien-trained Zoffany will not be running at the Curragh on Saturday after being ruled out of a potential return to action in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas with colic.
The colt, who was also entered in the Group Three Greenlands Stakes (6f) on Saturday, was 7 to 2 second favourite for the Classic behind market leader Dubawi Gold.
The son of Dansili won five of his seven races as a juvenile, including the Group One Phoenix Stakes, but has not run since finishing third behind Pathfork when favourite for the National Stakes in September.
Anne-Marie OBrien, wife of the trainer, tweeted yesterday: “Zoffany had a slight colic this afternoon, he has received treatment for it and will therefore unfortunately miss this Saturday’s Guineas.”
Paddy Power reacted to the news by making Dubawi Gold a shorter favourite at 6 to 4 with Roderic OConnor outright second favourite at 11 to 4.
Just 10 colts remain in the big race after yesterday’s forfeit stage when Britain’s champion trainer, Richard Hannon, supplemented Dubawi Gold into the Classic at a cost of €32,500. Hannon is pursuing a fourth success in the Irish Guineas with the colt who chased home Frankel in the English Guineas at Newmarket.
Despite Hannon’s outstanding record in the Guineas, O’Brien is the most successful trainer in the Classic’s history with six wins. The last Irish trainer besides O’Brien to win the Curragh Guineas was his Ballydoyle predecessor, Vincent O’Brien, who won with Prince Of Birds in 1988.
Ireland’s champion trainer has four of the 11 left in the €325,000 feature including the Group One winners Roderic O’Connor, unplaced at Newmarket.
Intriguingly O’Brien has also left in Master Of Hounds, fifth to Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby 10 days ago, and who had been nominated as a possible runner in the Belmont Stakes back in America.
The 2,000 Guineas is the sole Irish Classic that John Oxx has yet to win during a glittering career and he is set to pitch in the Tetrarch Stakes runner-up Zabarajad into the race.
It is 35 years since Kevin Prendergast landed the Guineas with Northern Treasure but he relies this time on Dunboyne Express who won on his comeback appearance at Leopardstown in March.
Ground conditions at the Curragh were good to firm yesterday and although the forecast is for unsettled weather over the coming week, the track authorities haven’t ruled out some watering before the Guineas festival gets under way this weekend.
English-based trainer Stan Moore is hoping for some ease in the ground for Slim Shadey who belied big odds in the English Guineas with a fine run into fourth place behind Frankel.
One name absent from the Guineas is the National Stakes winner Pathfork who lost his unbeaten record in the Newmarket Classic.
Trainer Jessica Harrington, reported yesterday: “He is fine but I’ve been away for a week and haven’t yet talked to the owners about making a plan for him.”
