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Good ground expected for Irish Guineas meeting a Curragh

Jamie Spencer on Just the Judge won the 2014 Irish 1,000 Guineas
Jamie Spencer on Just the Judge won the 2014 Irish 1,000 Guineas

Ground conditions at the Curragh are expected to dry out by the time of the two-day Guineas meeting this weekend.

The going was described as yielding on Wednesday, but with dry weather forecast for the rest of the week, officials are expecting it to be towards the good side for Saturday and Sunday.

General manager Paul Hensey said: "It's been dry and bright here and the forecast is for fair weather between now and the weekend.

"On Wednesday morning, the ground was yielding and we're expecting improvement before the weekend. I don't think we'll be too far away from good for the start of the meeting.

"It may be on the easy side, but obviously we will monitor it over the next day or so."

Hensey is looking forward to two days of high-class sport at the headquarters of Irish Flat racing headlined by the Tattersalls-sponsored 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas.

Even the enforced absence of the Dermot Weld-trained Free Eagle from the Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday with a head cold has not lowered expectations.

"It was disappointing to hear the news about Free Eagle. He had been an intended runner all winter long, but it's a fantastic race even without him," he said.

"To have The Grey Gatsby and Al Kazeem is great and now that Free Eagle is not running maybe Dermot will run Fascinating Rock.

"The 2,000 Guineas looks a fascinating race. Ivawood is a horse that could put it up to Gleneagles and Roger Varian is quite sweet on Belardo. He felt the ground was too quick for him at Newmarket and it should be more to his liking here.

"The 1,000 Guineas looks very good as well on Sunday. Devonshire (Willie McCreery) was supplemented for it.

"Saturday is a very interesting card. We've got the Marble Hill Stakes, which is the best two-year-old race in Ireland so far this year.

"We've also got the Greenlands Stakes. I guess Eddie Lynam will have to make a decision tomorrow whether to run Sole Power here or at Haydock.

"I think Kevin Ryan is sending over Astaire and we have Gordon Lord Byron and Maarek in the race as well. Dermot has Mustajeeb, who won the Jersey Stakes last year. It's a cracking race.

"The fillies' race, the Lanwades Stakes, looks good. John Oxx runs My Titania in it. We're looking forward to seeing her return.

"On Sunday, Aidan O'Brien is firing the last of his Derby bullets in Giovanni Canaletto [in the Gallinule Stakes].

"It's a marvellous weekend. There are lots of good races and plenty to look forward to."

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