Curragh officials adopt cautious watering policy
However, officials at the County Kildare track are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast which suggests some rain is likely before the end of the week.
“We’re having another dry day so we’re watering just to maintain good to firm ground and keeping an eye on the forecast for the remainder of the week,” racecourse manager Paul Hensey told At The Races.
“We’ll call the watering situation as time goes by. Speaking to the Met Office this morning, they are saying we are going to get two to three millimetres of rain between now and Friday.
“But they are indicating there could be up to six to eight millimetres of rainfall come Saturday morning, so we will just have to watch that.
“If the rain comes, they are forecasting it may bring the ground back to good - if it doesn’t come it will be good to firm on Saturday and we may then water on Saturday night.
“It’s a bit of a quandary at the moment.”
Meanwhile Pat Fahy is expecting a big run from Ballybacka Lady in Sunday’s Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas.
A 16-1 chance with Paddy Power, the Hurricane Run filly was a surprise winner of the Derrinstown Stud sponsored Trial at Leopardstown earlier this month.
Better known as a jumps trainer, Fahy, who is hopeful Fran Berry will take the ride again, said: “Ballybacka Lady will run as long as the ground is not too soft.
“She’s done well since Leopardstown having been eased off with a view to freshening her up.
“I don’t know if Fran will ride again – it depends if the ground is very quick and if Laughing Lashes runs then he rides her, so I will then have to look for another jockey.”
Lolly For Dolly is enjoying a lucrative campaign and will bid to plunder further Pattern-race honours in the TRI Equestrian Stakes at the Curragh, also on Saturday.
Tommy Stack’s four-year-old has already been successful twice at Group Three level this season and was narrowly denied the hat-trick by Irish 1000 Guineas contender Emiyna.
Lolly For Dolly could book her ticket to Royal Ascot with another prominent showing this weekend.
Stack’s son and assistant, Fozzy, said: “She’ll take her chance and she seems well in herself.
“She’s had a great year so far, winning two Group Threes and she did nothing wrong the last day.
“The winner is one of the leading fancies for the Irish 1000 Guineas and we were giving her 15lb and only got beaten a short-head.”
Snaefell is set to make his fourth successive appearance in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes.
Michael Halford’s seven-year-old sprinter has finished second, fifth and third in the Group Three contest over six furlongs and is a four-times course winner.
“The plan is to run him. We’re pleased with him and he’s come forward since his last run as well so we’re taking our chances,” said Halford.
“He’s a standing dish at the Curragh. He likes it there and always runs well.”
The County Kildare trainer is unlikely to declare his other Greenlands entry Invincible Ash.
The six-year-old mare is not quite ready for a return to action after a busy spell in Meydan where she ran five times.
“She is doubtful, but I have to speak to her owner,” the County Kildare-based handler went on.
“She had a bit of a break when she came back from Meydan and she’s done well for it.
“She’s in a Group Three (Ballyogan Stakes) at Leopardstown in June and she also has a couple of engagements at Ascot (King’s Stand and Golden Jubilee), so we’ll see.”
