RACING: Aidan O'Brien hasn't decided who will represent him in Sunday's Independent Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes (6f) at the Curragh but he is still odds-on to win the race for the fifth time in a row, writes Brian O'Connor
The Ballydoyle yard is under a sickness cloud at the moment but O'Brien has 10 of the 23 entries left in the Group One pot at yesterday's forfeit stage.
At the weekend, he narrowed the likely team to the Coventry winner Statue Of Liberty, the Railway victor Hold That Tiger, Ontario, who picked up the Anglesey last time, and Marino Marini.
However, O'Brien was not able to narrow it further yesterday and said: "There's no change and we probably won't decide until Friday morning. The way things are, we can do nothing else."
The Phoenix winner roll call is like an honour list of Europe's top juveniles in recent years with Johannesburg successful last year and Fasliyev the winner in 1999.
The unclear nature of who will fly the Ballydoyle flag in Europe's first juvenile Group One of the season left the ante-post market a "minefield" according to one bookmaker.
However, Cashmans took a short cut and make the O'Brien stable 1 to 2 to win the race. The British pair Revenue (Michael Bell) and Tacitus (Richard Hannon) are 5 to 1 joint second favourites.
Princely Heir in 1997 was the last cross-channel winner and Tacitus' trainer won the race with Pips Pride in 1992.
The three other British entries are Night Speed, trained by Brian Meehan, Polar Force (Mick Channon) and Cassis (Jeremy Noseda).
Cashmans bet: 1-2 the Aidan O'Brien stable, 5 Tacitus and Revenue, 7 Abunawwas, 10 Night Speed, Luminata and Petite Histoire, 33 Peratus.
Michael Kinane first won the Phoenix 19 years ago on King Persian, and three more times since.
He is at Fairyhouse tonight where the lack of Ballydoyle runners has resulted in a scramble for the former champion's services.
Ted Walsh won out for Reilly Mac in the six-furlong handicap and Kinane could also threaten on the Ballinrobe maiden winner Sineogron in the two-year-old race.
The form shown by John Oxx's string over the bank holiday weekend was enough to make the apprentice maiden look ripe for the Curragh trainer to pick up.
Kassna's piece of racecourse form behind Marie Pavie at Leopardstown in May could give Catherine Gannon's mount the edge.
Wensum Dancer sluiced up by eight lengths at Cork on Sunday and can hardly be opposed in the amateur maiden.
At Sligo, the weight Attanagh gets from the Leopardstown third Zaby in the two-year-old race could be decisive.
The Group Two Royal Whip Stakes over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh on Sunday has attracted six entries from Britain.
They are Chancellor (Barry Hills), Foreign Affairs (Sir Mark Prescott), Highdown (Marcus Tregoning), Godolphin's Naheef (Saeed bin Suroor) and Mark Johnston's duo Simeon and Sir George Turner.
There is also a strong British contingent in the Group Three Phoenix Sprint Stakes over six furlongs, headed by David Nicholls' Darley July Cup second Bahamian Pirate.
The others are John Dunlop's pair Invincible Spirit and Red Liason, Mister Cosmi (Johnston), Indian Prince (Meehan) and Three Points (bin Suroor).
On a very valuable Curragh card, the €48,750 Robert Griffin Debutante Stakes has three cross-channel challengers, Bijoux (Hannon), Buy The Sport (Meehan) and Havantadoubt (Jonathan Portman).
