RACING NEWS ROUND-UP: IT IS over five years since Godolphin struck Irish classic gold but Sheikh Mohammed's team have the chance to end that dry-streak in Sunday's Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh.
Frankie Dettori will team up with the Ribblesdale winner Hibaayeb at the weekend and she will be joined in the race by Miss Jean Brodie who makes the huge leap to classic level on the back of just a maiden success at Doncaster.
“It’s a huge step but we feel she deserves a shot and she will be running on her merits. There will be no pacemaker,” the Godolphin spokesman, Simon Crisford said yesterday.
However, Hibaayeb, a Group One winner as a juvenile, is the Godolphin number one hope and she was backed into 7 to 2 joint-favourite with the Epsom Oaks heroine Snow Fairy in some ante-post lists yesterday.
The Snow Fairy team expressed some concern about ground conditions getting soft at the Curragh by Sunday but although Hibaayeb’s best form is on a quick surface, Crisford played down any worries on that score.
“It’s not really a concern. Basically what we don’t want is extremes. Other than that she’ll be fine,” he said.
Godolphin’s last Irish classic victory came in 2005 when Dubawi landed the Irish 2,000 Guineas, a race the organisation also won five years previous to that with Bachir.
Kayf Tara in 1998-99 also gave them back-to-back victories in the Irish Leger.
Dettori will complete an Irish Oaks hat-trick if Hibaayeb is successful having won on Lailani in 2001 and Vintage Tipple in 2003.
The ground on the round course at the Curragh was officially good yesterday and there was no rain at the track up to yesterday evening. However, some rain was possible overnight.
“From Thursday afternoon, things are supposed to get brighter and fresher. But up to now, things have not been as bad as had been forecast,” the course manager Paul Hensey said.
That will be good news to Snow Fairy’s trainer Ed Dunlop who green-lighted the Epsom winner’s €42,500 supplementary entry into the Curragh classic on Tuesday.
“It was a difficult decision with the ground situation but we’ve been brave and done it.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get too soft, not just for us but for a lot of the others. I would think it is more than likely she will run but who knows. Let’s see what the weather does,” Dunlop said yesterday.
“She’s in good form and I think she is stronger than before the Oaks. Her work has been good and we are very happy with how she is going into the race,” he added.
Glamorous Spirit provided Welsh trainer Ron Harris with a maiden Group victory in the Sapphire Stakes on Irish Derby day and despite finishing last on her subsequent start at Chester the star sprinter could be coming back to Ireland.
“We went back too quick after the Curragh but she needs a break now,” Harris said yesterday.
“She could go back to Ireland either for the Flying Five at the Curragh (August 29th) and there’s a race at Tipperary too.”
