As befits a classic race, the Darley Irish Oaks doesn't throw up too many "screamer" results, but Profound Beauty could be 20 to 1 value at the Curragh tomorrow to overturn the first two from Epsom, Light Shift and Peeping Fawn.

The great equaliser will be the going, which has already forced the cancellation of today's card.

Yesterday, however, the Curragh authorities were happy to have taken that bold step as rain continued to fall.

"I'm delighted we took that decision as it gives us a good chance for Sunday," said the track manager, Paul Hensey.

"We're expecting between 15 and 20 millimetres of rain today (Friday) but it's supposed to be better over Saturday and Sunday, and 24 hours can make a big difference here."

It won't make such a difference though that conditions will not be testing in the extreme for midsummer and that won't be good news for most of the connections, especially the Light Shift team.

Henry Cecil, chasing a fourth Irish Oaks win, has already stated that only bottomless going would be an excuse for his Epsom heroine, who will attempt to become the fourth filly in the last decade to complete the English-Irish Oaks double.

Unfortunately for him, bottomless looks exactly what it will be.

Peeping Fawn has half a length to make up on Light Shift from Epsom and since then has picked up a Group One victory here in the Pretty Polly when the going was soft.

It's another quarter mile now, however, and after looking like swamping Light Shift at the furlong pole last month, Peeping Fawn did peter out slightly in the closing stages.

It may well be that the Ballydoyle number two, All My Loving, who was third at Epsom, will relish gruelling going more, and the Derby two weeks ago proved Séamus Heffernan on a supposed O'Brien second string is no back number.

John Oxx, like Aidan O'Brien, is triple-handed, and Michael Kinane will be on board Timarwa, who didn't help her chances in the Pretty Polly by pulling too hard early.

She will need to settle better now, and even if she does, Timarwa could still struggle in the conditions to confirm her maiden form here against Profound Beauty.

Strictly on the book, the Dermot Weld runner has three lengths to find with Timarwa, but she has a quarter of a mile farther to go now, and a subsequent easy maiden win at Naas had her master trainer immediately nominating the Irish Oaks as a target.

Weld's one proviso was that Profound Beauty got soft ground, and she has that in spades. Paddy Power's 20 to 1 looks tempting for a race where form could be turned on its head.

Margarula at 33 to 1 five years ago was the last big long shot to win the Oaks, but conditions may be ripe for a repeat.

South Dakota looked an unlucky colt on Derby day when beaten by his stable companion Lizard Island in the Railway Stakes. He was running on very well, however, on soft ground, after being squeezed for room at a critical stage, and that experience should stand him in good stead in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes.

Just four line up for the Group Three Minstrel Stakes and while the in-foal Redstone Dancer is the one in winning form, there was a lot to like about the return to form of Hard Rock City on soft ground over the Derby weekend, and the tough gelding can beat the tough filly.

A total of five remain in the International Stakes, transferred from today, and the conditions look to have turned right for Decado, who has had two runs on quick ground this year.

Aidan O'Brien landed the Group Three feature at York yesterday with Theann, and he will be hoping to do the same today when Hitchcock flies the Ballydoyle flag in the John Smith's Cup, writes Brian O'Connor.

Darryll Holland will be on board Hitchcock, who will attempt to give his trainer a second win in the 221,000 highlight after Mullins Bay in 2004.

The champion trainer's focus will switch to France this evening as the Epsom Derby runner-up Eagle Mountain tries to follow in the footsteps of Scorpion two years ago in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.

Kieren Fallon will ride Eagle Mountain for the second time this year after finishing third on him to Soldier Of Fortune in the Irish Derby 13 days ago.

The Irish star's opposition will include the high-class Zambezi Storm as well as Airmail Special, who has already been supported for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Fallon will also be on board the local horse Marend in the Group Two Prix Maurice de Nieuil on the same Bastille Day card.

Races originally lost from today's scheduled card at the Curragh have been transferred to Leopardstown next Wednesday and Fairyhouse tomorrow week. Horse Racing Ireland announced yesterday that the The Rocwood Nursery had been added to the Leopardstown card.

Tom Hogan looks to have secured a good opportunity for the Punchestown bumper winner Native Royal in the opening mares maiden hurdle at Sligo tomorrow.