Ruby Walsh: Deep ground a Classic test of horse and jockey
We all know summer milers want to hear their hooves rattle off a fast level surface which the Curragh can provide better than most of its racecourse rivals, writes Ruby Walsh.
With four of the recognised European one-mile Classics — the English and French Guineas — already run, today and tomorrow will see the focus switch to the final two, the Irish 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas.
Farmers will tell you that a wet and windy May will fill their barns with hay. In other words, a miserable month of May should give rise to a beautiful summer because grass needs moisture first and then heat to grow into the long, lush blades required to make hay. I hope their old-time sayings are still relevant in our climate-changing world as a beautiful summer will suit us all, but a wet May is some drawback if you are training a potential Guineas contender.
