Meade has grounds for concern with Curley Bill
The five-year-old ran out a decisive winner on his Flat debut at Gowran Park in early April and backed that up with a good effort to fill the runner-up spot on Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh.
Meade hopes the application of a hood could help his charge as he faces 10 opponents in this €110,000 contest, but the likelihood of heavy ground is a big negative.
Meade said: “We’re putting the hood on him to try to help him be a bit more relaxed, but I’d be very worried about the ground.
“It’s testing now and there is more rain forecast. If it gets very heavy, that isn’t going to suit him at all.”
Denis Hogan saddled Inis Meain to win the mile-and-a-half contest 12 months ago and is represented this year by Vedani.
He ran well when a close third over hurdles at Killarney last month, but again, conditions are likely to be very different on Friday.
Hogan said: “The race has cut up and I’d imagine that is because most of these horses would prefer nicer ground.
“Ideally we’d like a bit better ground for our horse, but he’s fit and well and in good form, so we’ll let him take his chance.
“It’s a massive step up in class for him, so we’ll see how we go.”
It is the same story for Joe Murphy’s recent Ballinrobe scorer Jack Daddy.
Murphy said: “He ran well in Ballinrobe, but the ground was better that day.
“I’d be worried about the ground and he hasn’t got a good draw (stall 11) tomorrow, but it’s a big pot and the match is on so we’ll play.”
Dermot Weld’s runaway Cork scorer Show Court is a leading contender for top honours, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Kingdom another major player.
Meanwhile Machete Mark will not take up his engagement at Galway on Sunday due to the soft ground.
The three-year-old put up a career-best at Ascot last weekend when second to Yeager in a valuable handicap over a mile.
He holds an entry in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund ’Ahonoora’ Handicap, a Premier Handicap, but the deluge which has hit Galway means he is likely to have a break before possibly being prepared for the Dubai Carnival.
“Machete Mark needs top of the ground,” said his trainer Ger Lyons.
“He’s come out of the Ascot race well. He ran a blinder and is still very inexperienced. He cruised to the front as if he’d win but I know he’ll improve for the experience.
“We’ll plot and plan with him. There’s a 100,000 euros handicap at Leopardstown he could run in but if the weather goes as it can do over here, we might just keep him for Dubai.”
