Racing NewsAidan O'Brien confirmed last night that Oratorio and not Footstepsinthesand will be the Ballydoyle number one in Saturday's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
After days of speculation the Newmarket Guineas-winner Footstepsinthesand has finally been ruled out of a double attempt due to the effects of a stone bruise.
"He picked up a stone bruise after Newmarket and has been cantering away with a bandage on his foot," said O'Brien.
"This morning he was a bit feely on it so we swam him. But he was feely again this evening and we are not going to risk him."
Instead, Oratorio, who ran fourth at Newmarket, will get his chance at classic glory and the Danehill colt will be ridden by Kieren Fallon.
O'Brien is seeking a fifth success in the 2,000 Guineas and as well as Oratorio he is set to declare Albert Hall, Showdance and Hills Of Aran at this morning's final declaration stage.
Final jockey arrangements for those horses have not been finalised but John Murtagh, Seamus Heffernan and Colm O'Donoghue are on standby.
Footstepsinthesand may not get the chance to double up at the Curragh but Virginia Waters is on track to try to become just the second filly in history to add the Irish Guineas to a Newmarket success earlier this month. She will be joined in Sunday's classic by Mona Lisa and Queen Titi.
Yeats has been ruled out of Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup but the O'Brien team will be represented by both Solskjaer and Ace who ran behind Bago in the Prix Ganay at Longchamp.
Conditions at the Curragh on Saturday look like being ideal for the Guineas favourite Dubawi.
Dubawi was as short as 13 to 8 with the sponsors yesterday and the steady rain that fell on the Curragh yesterday was good news for the Godolphin team who had already declared they ideally wanted a little cut in the ground for their colt.
Up to 10mms of rain is expected overnight and this morning and although the ground has been good on the Guineas straight course all week that looks like changing by the time the final declarations are made.
"I would imagine it will be on the easy side of good if the weather forecasts we are getting are accurate," said the Curragh manager Paul Hensey yesterday.
Dubawi's jockey Frankie Dettori won the Guineas on Bachir five years ago but he will have an unusual preparation for the big race on Saturday as he will appear before the Turf Club's Appeals & Referrals Committee that morning over his non-appearance at the Curragh last month for a Jockeys Challenge Race.
There remains some doubt with some bookmakers about whether Damson will show up in Sunday's 1,000 Guineas with Paddy Power quoting the David Wachman filly at 3 to 1 "with a run". Wachman was concerned at the rain that fell countrywide yesterday as Damson prefers fast ground.
Virginia Waters remains an evens favourite to follow in Attraction's footsteps and become just the second filly to complete the Newmarket-Curragh Guineas double but there will be a significant cross-channel challenge to her.
Maids Causeway, runner-up at Newmarket, will take her on again and so will Joint Aspiration who has been confirmed a runner by her trainer Mick Channon.
Sunday's other Group One race is the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Dermot Weld has reported his Irish Derby winner, Grey Swallow, to be ready for a likely clash with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bago from Jonathon Pease's yard in Chantilly.
The forecast ground for Tipperary yesterday was originally "good to firm" but rain is likely to have an impact this evening and one result could be that the Dermot Weld team have the edge over Ballydoyle in the first two races.
Absolute Image found only one too good for him on his debut over the course and distance of the first maiden and being by Indian Ridge he won't mind easier ground against the Storm Cat horse Charismatic Cat.
Aidan O'Brien unveils the Danehill colt Amigoni in the juvenile maiden but the experience of a run on the first day of the season could give Gripping an edge.
French Accordion threw away his chance with a bad jump at the last at Killarney behind On The Net and Ruby Walsh is a significant jockey booking for the two mile maiden hurdle.
