Aidan O'Brien has conceded there is now a doubt about the likely hot favourite Imagine taking her chance in the Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks.
The Epsom Oaks and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine sustained a stone bruise earlier this week and her trainer reported yesterday that Imagine has not been ridden out since.
He said: "It is just a bruise and it has cleaned up quickly but she is still a little sore on it. I'm not ruling her out but there has to be a doubt about her running. We won't be taking any chances and the lack of work could be a factor in the decision."
O'Brien added there is no scarcity of alternative future races for Imagine if she doesn't make the race cut in eight days time, but a lot will depend on whether the filly can be ridden out today.
If Imagine cannot run in the fourth Classic of the year, it will be a rare blow for O'Brien who is being quoted at only 3 to 1 by Cashmans to pick up a Classic clean sweep this year following the Derby win of Galileo and Black Minnaloushe's 2,000 Guineas success.
The Ballydoyle trainer has also pruned his squad for next week's July meeting at Newmarket. The Queen Mary runner-up Sophisticat will miss the Cherry Hinton Stakes and wait instead for a Listed race at home while the juvenile colt Wiseman's Ferry will be kept for the Anglesey Stakes.
It also looks likely that Minardi, last season's champion European two-year-old, will bypass Thursday's Darley July Cup and that Mozart and Freud will fly the Ballydoyle flag in the Group 1 sprint.
"Minardi was trained hard for the mile races and while he is well, I am not sure if he will run. Mozart and Freud are strong possibles and Ishiguru is a possible," said O'Brien.
The season's top trainer is well represented at Leopardstown today where Toroca bids for some winning black type in the Listed Brownstown Stakes.
Placed third in both the English and Irish Guineas, Toroca ran well in the Coronation Stakes and was then a rather surprising runner in last weekend's Pretty Polly. Stamina didn't seem to be an issue in her run behind Rebelline but she is brought back to a mile again here for a sixth start of a busy campaign.
That rate of activity might just be a worry and Toroca's presence certainly hasn't scared off Charles O'Brien who runs three fillies in the race.
Kalamunda was an easy winner here last time but Lindissima was the best of a rather weak opposition. The four-year-old Dance Of Love is conceding weight and now that Chiming is dropped a furlong from a short-head defeat at Gowran, she could be the one to surprise the likely favourite.
The unknown quantity is the 13-length Gowran winner Siringas but Chiming will love the "good to firm" ground and can supply Niall McCullagh with another winner in a memorable season.
The jockey could also be on the mark in the last on the Naas runner-up Telepgraph Road while the unlucky Windsor Castle runner-up Steaming Home can defeat two Ballydoyle runners and make it third time lucky in the opener.
Down at Cork the professionals are likely to be out in force for Mala Mala in the opening maiden. Placed in two Group One races last year, the 110rated filly was second last to Imagine in the Irish Guineas but should be well up to winning this while the course and distance winner Sea Leopard could also score for jockey Wayne Lordan.
