think present ground would suit IM better,there has been money for IM with B oyles 5s and PP 11/2 today from 7s

ground still soft/heavy in places,what exactly is a pulse in the foot?whats the worse that can happen?

Camelot might not run.


Curragh hoping for drier weather ahead of Camelot run in Irish Derby

• Bookies fear favourite may be pulled out if conditions worsen
• Going at track is currently soft with heavy patches after rain
Will Hayler

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 June 2012 18.45 BST


At the home of Irish Flat racing, they were moving everything including the running rail to try and ensure the best possible ground for Saturday's Irish Derby, but concerns remain that favourite Camelot may miss the race after rain left the going soft, heavy in places on Thursday.

The racecourse manager, Paul Hensey, was pleased with a positive weather forecast and said that the race programme had been arranged to provide as much fresh ground as possible for the Derby runners.

"It's been a dry, sunny day with a good wind getting up and if we get another one of those on Friday, we'll be improving quickly," he said. "The Curragh is a very quick-drying course. I remember when John Oxx pulled Sea The Stars out of the race a couple of years ago after we had some very heavy rain a couple of days before the meeting, it was near enough perfect ground by the time of the race.

"We have 12 metres of fresh ground kept up our sleeves railed off for the Derby from the start of the race to the six-furlong marker and the runners will be on the stands side for the races on the straight course."

However despite Hensey's optimism, fears that the Aidan O'Brien-trained Epsom Derby winner could bypass the contest were stoked by the decision of two bookmakers not to offer prices.

"I'm sure Aidan will walk the course when he has runners here on Friday evening," said Hensey. "John Oxx and Dermot Weld both train on The Curragh and know the track as well as anyone, so they will know where they stand."

Ladbrokes spokesman David Williams pointed to uncertainty over whether Camelot would be allowed to line up unless conditions improved, with O'Brien having stated before that he would prefer to avoid "extremes of going".

"When you have a 1-4 favourite for a seven-runner race, the amount of trade is going to be very light until much nearer the race in any case, so we decided that with question marks over Camelot's participation in testing conditions, it would be better to wait and see before offering prices," said Williams.

Camelot was one of three horses declared by O'Brien for the contest with Imperial Monarch and the hard-working Astrology, third behind Camelot at Epsom before disappointing at Royal Ascot last week, also left in.

William Buick will make a new link-up when partnering Oxx's Akeed Mofeed, with stable jockey Johnny Murtagh choosing to partner Born To Sea in preference.

"I'm very happy to get such a nice ride and I'm really looking forward to it," said Buick. "It's a real pleasure to get these call-ups, to be riding for such a nice firm and on such a good horse."

Meterological matters were also foremost at other tracks. Cards at Leicester and Tipperary on Thursday were called off, while an electrical storm and torrential rain at Newcastle resulted in the meeting being abandoned after four races. The Newcastle fixture was the first day of a three-day meeting featuring Saturday's Northumberland Plate. The clerk of the course, James Armstrong, was also forced to abandon Friday's scheduled action and will hope for a change of luck in the next 24 hours.

"This is the big event of the year for us," he said. "We gear everything towards these three days. I just hope we can salvage something."

Adam Kirby's first Royal Ascot winner came at a cost when the jockey was handed a 21-day suspension after his Norfolk Stakes ride aboard Reckless Abandon was referred to the British Horseracing Authority.

Kirby became the first jockey to clock up five suspensions for whip offences within a 12-month period, the trigger for a referral to the BHA. His ban mirrored the recommended "entry level" punishment.

"The revised whip rules have now been in place for almost four months and we are very encouraged by the results both in respect of how jockeys have adapted to the rules and how the rules have worked and been applied by the Stewards," said BHA director Jamie Stier.

"The 21-day suspension issued to Adam Kirby illustrates the measures we have in place to identify and punish repeat offenders while ensuring that individual penalties remain proportionate for the offence.

"We are in a good place currently. We can be robust in responding to any criticism from animal welfare or animal rights parties as there is not a welfare problem with use of the whip under the current rules, which at the same time do not inhibit competitive and exciting racing.

"To remain in such a position, we are looking to the jockeys to continue to respect the rules and penalties in place, otherwise we would have to review the penalty structure if the current deterrents proved ineffective."

Yep certainly sounds like Camelot N/R.

maybe more importantly magic sign still standout top price on IM and shortest on camelot

aobballydoyle ‏@aobballydoyle
Camelot will run in this evenings Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
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1m Greg Wood ‏@Greg_Wood_
Imperial Monarch out of the #irishderby

Eclipse for Imperial ?

Could never see them running the two against each other.

Apologies if I'm boring anyone (!) but my guess is the Grand Prix de Paris next for IM.  Would be wary of backing him for any all-aged Group 1 in the next month.

They obviously feel that the horse is not that classy, even with the ground in his favour.

I disagree bjg. If they rated this horse highly, camelot would surely not be running.

hard to know,seemed ok when asked on morning line but as uncle said may not have wanted them taking each other on

No idea why they gave the reason as the ground though when they said it was unsuitbale for Camelot.

They would not want to take on SYT in the Eclipse either btw, imo.

tend to agree sint,think IM is going to win a race soon though,who knows could end up a contender for the Arc on soft ground,Irish Champion Stakes may also be a target closer to home

barney curley bloody saint compared with what this lot get up to imo

agree IM would have handled the ground no problem going on his sandown run,born to sea ran a cracker,the urban sea influence over the trip along with fact invincible spirits handle ease in ground worked well today not many of them get the trip seemed to get it ok today,maybe 1m2f is about right her him.looking forward to seeing IM running soon,he could be the one to keep things ticking over while camelot is on a break

not sure how confident I'd be backing him in the GPdP even he got his conditions,o'Brien doesnt have best of records over there and Fabre can be hard to bet against