RACING: Yesterday has been installed a 2-1 favourite to fill in a rare classic blank for Aidan O'Brien in Sunday's Darley Irish Oaks but victory will mean having to cope with the race specialist.
Spanish Sun, unbeaten in two, is on track to try to record a remarkable seventh success in the Oaks for her trainer Michael Stoute.
"Spanish Sun is a likely runner and it is likely that Richard Hughes will again ride," said a stable spokesperson yesterday.
Hughes partnered Spanish Sun to a narrow victory in Royal Ascot's Ribblesdale Stakes, beating another Irish Oaks entry Silk Screen by a head.
Stoute's first Oaks success came with Fair Salinia 25 years ago and since then he has also trained Colorspin (1986), Unite (1987), Melodist (1988), Pure Grain (1995) and Petrushka (2000) to victories.
Silk Screen's stable companion High Praise, 12th in the Epsom Oaks but a Group Two winner at St Cloud since, is also a John Gosden entry for Sunday but a spokesman said: "Plans have yet to be finalised and it is up in the air at the moment."
A total of 14 fillies were left in at yesterday's forfeit stage including the Jim Bolger-trained Snippets who was supplemented for €40,000. Bolger won the race last year with the 33 to 1 outsider Margarula, and also 20 years ago with Give Thanks.
"She has won a Listed race over the trip and been placed in the Cheshire Oaks so she should be suited by the mile and a half," said Bolger.
The Epsom heroine Casual Look remains on course for a re-run with Yesterday who was an unlucky runner-up last month.
The bookies, however, believe that the Irish star will come out on top this time and both Paddy Power and Cashmans have made Yesterday a 2 to 1 favourite.
The Cork firm make Spanish Sun the second favourite at 3 to 1 with Casual Look a 4 to 1 shot to become the 10th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh double.
The sole French entry, Apsara, has been left in the race through error. The unraced John Hammond trained filly will be taken out at the confirmation stage.
A total of 16 have been left in the Goffs International Stakes and they include the Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up, France, as well as his stable companions Alberto Giacometti and Spartacus.
The dark horse, however, could be the John Oxx-trained Sea Dart who was an impressive winner at Limerick last weekend.
Tonight's action is at Naas where the Bolger team can warm up for Snippets at the weekend with a double.
Tropical Lady went down by just a head to Middlemarch on her debut at the Curragh recently and that should have brought her on significantly. If it has the mile maiden looks hers for the taking.
Bolger runs two in the six furlong maiden and with the 82-rated Scarsdale setting the standard it might be just worth betting that the Kevin Manning ridden newcomer Bona Dea is good enough to win first time out.
Montevideo tops the weights in the mile and a half handicap but a defeat of the nearly horse Prominent Feature at Leopardstown doesn't look to read particularly well.
Mick Kinane is on Pantarez for David Wachman in this and looks a viable alternative.
Irish Oaks Betting: Paddy Power bet: 2 Yesterday, 7-2 Casual Look, 9-2 Ocean Silk, 11-2 Spanish Sun, 8 Hanami, 10 High Praise, 14 Snippets & Vitnage Tipple, 16 L'ancresse, 25 Bar. Cashmans: 2 Yesterday, 3 Spanish Sun, 4 Casual Look, 6 Ocean Silk, 7 Hanami, 11 Vintage Tipple, 20 L'ancresse, 25 Snippets, 50 Bar.
