Newmarket trainer George Margarson is eyeing a first trip to the Curragh in 16 years for Saturday week's Entenmann's Irish 2,000 Guineas in a bid to try and finally secure a Group One bracket for Barathea Guest.
Barathea Guest was an unlucky third to King's Best in the Newmarket Guineas and was disqualified in favour of Aidan O'Brien's Ciro in last year's Grand Criterium. Now Margarson is willing to make a £25,000 gamble on the Curragh working the Group One oracle.
"The horse will have to be supplemented but at current exchange rates it should set us back about £16,500 sterling. But he will only run if the ground is on the soft side of good," Margarson said. He will have to supplement by Tuesday, and possible ground conditions should be clearer then.
Margarson last visited the Curragh with the Mick Ryan-trained Katies, who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1984 and the timing of the run-up to the first Irish clasic of the year is proving ideal for Barathea Guest, who won the Greenham Stakes this term.
"I didn't think a horse in the world could beat him in the Guineas but the ground went against him and then the poor horse got no sort of run in the race," Margarson commented. "I know King's Best was blocked too but that actually suited him.
"The Curragh should suit our horse as he has won right handed at Deauville and Longchamp and it could set him up for a run in the Derby also.
"His sire was placed in the Newmarket Guineas, won the Irish Guineas and then ran in the Derby and I feel my fellow has the stamina to run well at Epsom," he said.
On the home front no one can be surprised if a Pat Flynn-trained horse runs a big race - in the last week they have been doing mostly nothing else.
It's a welcome change for the Carrick-On-Suir trainer, who couldn't find a firm reason why his string were not fully sparking for much of last season. The result of that, however, could be a stable full of well-handicapped horses and that may pay off at Gowran tonight.
Thepointaboutitis landed a touch at Tipperary six days ago, winning by an impressive six lengths and has just 5lb extra in the Thomastown Handicap. He still looks well treated, though, and should be very hard to beat.
Rossmill Native landed a Ladies race at Killarney on Sunday and goes for a quick double in a similar race here. The track hurdles winner Copernicus and the three-year-old Slaneyside look the dangers.
The oddly-named Gotarapofahames was a good third to Ascension at Leopardstown on Sunday and looks a type that will thrive for the extra furlong in the two-year-old race. With the Ballydoyle runner Cashel Palace and Dermot Weld's Bob Back colt Backcraft in the race, Eddie Ahern's mount could be a value price.
