In Focus/Desert Fantasy Brian O'Connor listens to trainer Christy Roche talk up the chances of his Curragh hero

It's been over a month since Desert Fantasy inflicted one of the most famous blows at the ring in recent years, but mention his name and most bookmakers will still wince.

A morning price of 12 to 1 quickly disappeared, a track price of 8 to 1 at the Curragh was gobbled up like caviar and still the punters kept tucking in. By off time Desert Fantasy was only 3 to 1 in a field of 29 and the bookies never even looked like having a prayer.

"He must have taken out over a quarter-of-a-million from the ring," remembered one prominent bookmaker last night. "No form, an impossible draw and he danced up."

Tears for bookies are rare in such circumstances, and no one's face was drier than Desert Fantasy's trainer Christy Roche.

A whopping 26lb hike in the horse's rating briefly threatened to take the smile from Roche's face, but Desert Fantasy is still in tonight's McDonogh with a first-rate chance.

That 26lb, plus possible overweight from jockey Fran Berry, would probably be enough to make some bookmakers fancy their chances, but not this time. Roche doesn't blame them.

"I know my horse has improved. It's just a case of if he has improved that much. I'm not sure, but the way the race has worked out he has a shout. I know that," he said last evening.

It's a confident summation of a horse's chance in a 130,000 handicap, but understandably it is nothing to the confidence Roche felt on Derby weekend.

"The horse was terrible well in, but for a reason. I can't tell you the problems he has had with his joints. No one wants to hear these things afterwards but it's true, and even since then I haven't been sure I would be able to get him to Galway.

"He has been very frustrating. As a young horse he was always in trouble, but I always knew there was talent there. It was bubbling out through him," Roche said.

That talent eventually came to the fore at the Curragh, and Roche explains it was the installation of a limb-friendly swimming pool at his yard that helped bring it out.

"He's in there so much he's like Mark Spitz!" he said.

Bookies who took a bath at the Curragh will have 17 others running for them in tonight's feature, but still the forecast merchants are predicting Desert Fantasy will start a 6 to 1 favourite. However, as well as the 17 horses, they could also have the ground on their side.

"I don't know how he will do on it. He has never run on soft before. Fran (Berry) could also put up a bit over so we don't really know. But he has his shout," Roche added.

There are thousands who will hope it is a winning shout. But the roars from the Ballybrit grandstand could be drowned out by the groans from the ring, again.