Irish Racing: Michael Kinane is set to miss the Budweiser Irish Derby weekend after the death of his mother, Frances, early yesterday.

The former champion jockey was scheduled to ride the John Oxx-trained outsider Shalapour in Sunday's classic, but will now miss the three-day Curragh meeting which begins this evening.

The removal of Mrs Kinane takes place tomorrow evening to the Church of Our Lady and St David in Naas, arriving at 7.30pm. Her funeral Mass is at 10am on Sunday before burial in Boherlane, Cashel, Co Tipperary.

Niall McCullagh will take over on the Aga Khan-owned Hazarista in tomorrow's Group One Audi Pretty Polly Stakes, while Fran Berry, who rides Saoire in that race, is available to take Kinane's other intended mounts.

No final decision had been taken last evening on who will take over on Shalapour in the Derby. Berry had been booked earlier this week to partner the Aidan O'Brien outsider Yehudi.

Final declarations for the Derby will be made this morning and a maximum field of 10 is expected after confirmation yesterday that the Mark Johnston-trained Brahminy Kait will take his chance.

A stable spokesperson said: "He has come out of his run at York in good shape and it is likely that Kevin Darley will ride."

Kieren Fallon will be on board All Too Beautiful in the Pretty Polly after Aidan O'Brien also declared Mona Lisa among the final field for the 10-furlong Group One yesterday.

Among the overseas challenge will be the Brigadier Gerard-winner New Morning, and Red Bloom from the Michael Stoute yard.

This evening's feature on the first instalment of the Curragh weekend festival is the Listed Blue Square Stakes, which could see Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen make an early impact with Summer Scent.

The Kingmambo filly's only run to date resulted in a third placing behind Amigoni at Gowran and there should be significant improvement from that.

Weld pitches her in here against some more experienced types, including Dream Rose from Mick Channon's yard in Britain. The Down Royal winner Silly Dancer is another to look at, but Summer Scent could be the one.

The first Derby of the weekend will be the Apprentice version, which can fall to the Oxx-trained filly Virginia Woolf, who broke her maiden at Leopardstown on fast ground last time out.

O'Brien unveils an interesting newcomer in the first as Horatio Nelson, a son of Danehill and the Irish Guineas and Oaks winner Imagine, tackles the seven furlong maiden.

O'Brien and Fallon also look set to play a major role in the concluding mile and a quarter maiden with Portsmouth, who should improve for a debut start.

At Limerick, Mattys Joy returns to fences for the handicap chase and should regain the winning groove for trainer Daniel Mark Loughnane.

* Coolmore have announced the retirement of 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand due to a foot problem. The Giant's Causeway colt is set to stand in Australia after connections decided to call time on his three-race career.

A Coolmore statement said: "A niggling problem with the foot he bruised on the very fast ground at Newmarket has forced Footstepsinthesand's premature retirement.

"Although nothing major, the injury requires rest, which would rule him out of the summer's major mile events."