We have the final declarations through for Saturday's racing. The feature card is at The Curragh whrer the ground is Good, Good to Firm in places (watered). The Irish 2000 Guineas over the mile has nine runners. Clear favourite at 4/5 is English 2000 Guineas second, FIELD OF GOLD who had previously won the Craven. Was he unlucky in the Classic or did he get a poor ride from Kieren Shoemark? Not sure - RULING COURT was the sharper miler on the day and I'm not convinced this easier mile will play to FIELD OF GOLD's strengths but he's a worthy market leader and will take a lot of beating. He runs for Juddmonte as does COSMIC YEAR from the Charlton stable who went into a lot of notebooks on his debut last year and having beaten trees in a Kempton maiden, won a 1400m Listed at Newmarket three weeks ago. It's a big ask to go from that to a classic and while Oisin Murphy is a good a rider as there is, I have my doubts. Aidan O'Brien runs two - more favoured in the betting is OFFICER who won the Tetrarch last time but that's a Group 3 so again it's a big step up in grade. He's Ryan Moore's choice over EXPANDED who was ninth in the English 2000 Guineas and might need softer turf. HOTAZHELL represents Jessie Harrington and did me a nice favour when winning the Futurity at Doncaster beating DELACROIX. This is his first run as a 3-y-o and the evidence is he prefers slower ground. RASHABAR was second in the Coventry last year and was runner up again in the Greenham at Newbury behind JONQUIL who ran well in the Poulains. He's a big price at 20s as is National winner SCORTHY CHAMP who was seventh in the English 2000 Guineas and should come on a lot for the run. With nine runners, we can play the each way game a bet and while I think FIELD OF GOLD will win, I think both RASHABAR and SCORTHY CHAMP are worth small plays each way at 20s. The supporting Group 2 Greenlands over 1200m for the older sprinters features the northern hemisphere debut of STORM BOY, who is still technically a 3-y-o but gets in as Southern Hemisphere 3-y-o can compete against Northern Hemisphere 4-y-o. STORM BOY was fourth in the Golden Rose and a close eighth in the Everest which is Group 1 form so he should pick these up and carry them if he's on song. That's the big if - will he need the run? To be fair, this is a weak renewal and he could well be too good - MY MATE LEVI improved through handicaps, Listed and Group 3 company last season and could be the main threat. At Haydock, the going is Good to Firm - ten go in the Group 2 Sandy Lane for the 3-y-o over 1200m. This is the last significant Commonwealth Cup Trial and last Saturday's Newbury winner SYMBOL OF HONOUR backs up quickly - he did it very well and if he's improving further could well take a hand. BIG MOJO was fourth in the Gimcrack and ended up fourth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint. He looked in fine form on seasonal renewal winning at Ascot and could well be the one. He was, however, two places behind ARIZONA BLAZE at Del Mar and this looks an interesting Irish contender. His three runs this season have been mixed - the 1400m stretched him behind HENRI MATISSE at The Curragh and last timr he won over 1100m at Chantilly. POWERFUL GLORY is unbeaten and represents northern trainer Richard Fahey. He looked very smart when winning at Pontefract on debut by five and a half lengths and followed up in the Mill Reef at Newbury on heavy ground. That reads well and if he has thrived over the winter he could be right in this. It looks wide open and is probably more a match for watching and reviewing than playing. The Group 2 Temple is for the older sprinters over 1000m. It's the main trial for the King Charles III at Ascot. STARLUST is top rated and if you knew he would bring either his Nunthorpe form when third to BRADSELL or his Del Mar form when winning the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint, you'd have him as your favourite. The trouble is he lacks consistency but he has run well on quick ground and if he's fit and ready I'd give him every chance. MGHEERA won the Saint Georges at Longchamp two week ago but is better on soft ground while RUMSTAR won the Palace House at Newmarket (WASHINGTON HEIGHTS fourth) and that's solid enough albeit Group 3 form.  STARLUST is the one for me in this and I've played at 6s.

An earner of more than $3 million, Skippylongstocking has competed at 15 different tracks during his career, in which he has won eight graded stakes.View the full article

Is that the "Oxford dictionary" definition ??

Experts 😂...the blind leading the blind

Back in the spring I backed a Walker 2yo named Veomas at Caulfield - trial/jumpout form had been good but didn't fire that day. Havings its second start in the next at Pakenham.  Jumpouts have been ok.  Drawn the outside but has a top jockey (Jamie Melham) aboard.

I wouldn't count on that track being available for regular racing until a couple of years after they are forced to fix it properly in the spring. It's a complete stuff up and yes it looked to be primarily sand, yet they said they were going to add more to fix it: RACE will now commence renovation works immediately, involving coring, verti-draining, and adding additional sand to the surface — actions originally scheduled after May 17. Now they are saying it needs more organic matter???

I dont think it was on the surface it was dug up from underneath.

I saw it when it was first growing it was growing in almost sand only.

Nicely bred - She's A Dealer  

Exactly though perhaps the bigger question is why did they lay a surface mix with stones in it in the first place.

Surely the biggest question is why wasn't this attended to before any seeding as they knew the stones were there. The old story fix a problem then it doesn't come back to bite I

But it's not a sand-based track. It's a soil/silt-based track with sand in the profile.

Would be hard showing your face around people who know what happened . Am still in shock . We used to socialize together when we were both Juniors with other Drivers 

I see George Rooke has gone over to ride at Randwick on Saturday aboard the prmosing filly for James/Wellwod - She's  Dealer

It appears to me over the last few months he had lost his confidence, hie explanation to me at Te Rapa after a disapointing result was meaningless. He was given a fair go by Te Akau and then Marsh and received some valid criticism over recent rides. He has the skill without question but needs some mentoring and support. Lets hope he gets that at Wallers.

You are so right Scooby on one off my trips down to palmy I called in to see how progress was going on the Awapuni track , I could not believe how many  stones or rocks (call them what you want) were on the track I know that they had a working bee to pick up stones but there were so bloody many of them it would have been impossible to pick them all up.Farmers in the Marton area used to use a stone picker (a bit like a potato picker) Wether they tried to get one of those I don't know.There is a grass seed company in Palmerston North that specialises in grass seeds has been there for many years yet he was never approached for any advise.i agree if racing still had the likes of the Bill Freemans and the Jim Bulls these problems in racing would soon get sorted.

Do you know how long he will be over there for Ted?

🤣😂🤪

Oh fuck off , you with your smarts and common sense , these are not current requirements of our industry .

Hope he does well Ted, gifted rider and light weight hope he can break in over there.