Ground worries force O'Brien late decision

RACING: Aidan O'Brien will walk the track at Ascot this morning before deciding if Hawk Wing or Rock Of Gibraltar will run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, writes Brian O'Connor

The Ballydoyle trainer had decided to take Rock Of Gibraltar to Ascot today anyway, probably for a post-race workout.

However, the ground problems at Ascot yesterday, in addition to criticism from some jockeys about the going, means it is now not certain which of the O'Brien superstars will run.

"We will walk the course to see for ourselves what the ground is like and then we will decide. Whichever horse doesn't run will work after racing," O'Brien said yesterday evening.

The going at Ascot remains officially good to firm, a surface that O'Brien has been anxious for in order to run Hawk Wing in the Group One race.

He said earlier in the week that Rock Of Gibraltar would only appear if the ground turned too soft for Hawk Wing.

The Ballydoyle trainer will have a busy day today withVan Nistelrooy and Newfoundland running in the Royal Lodge and Reach For The Moon in the fillies mile.

However, it won't end there as Ballingarry (Michael Kinane) will represent the yard in the Canadian Intenational at Woodbine, Toronto, tomorrow night.

The Sadler's Wells colt has run third in the Irish Derby and the Irish St Leger on his last two starts.

"We just hope the race hasn't come too quick after the Leger. We knew he would improve for the run but we haven't done much with him since.

"He is a good moving horse and we know he gets a mile and a half and this looked an opportunity worth taking," O'Brien said.

O'Brien has notched up 11 Group One victories this season, five of them from Rock Of Gibraltar.

He will also have runners at three of the four home meetings this weekend including at Fairyhouse's all flat card which may yet provide John Murtagh with serious ammunition in the jockeys' title race.

With Kinane and Pat Smullen away, Murtagh could make hay especially with Arawan in the seven-furlong maiden.

The Aga Khan colt was well touted before his Curragh debut but had to give best to the more experienced runner Faadhil. O'Brien runs two against him but the form of the Oxx juveniles this week helps make Arawan an automatic choice.

Murtagh is also on the interesting Sadler's Wells newcomer Juliette and the Oxx camp should know where they stand with the more experienced Alexander Diamond through a line with Dabousiya.

The Listowel Festival winds down with today's feature, the €35,000 handicap hurdle, likely to fall to Vatarisk while Snob Wells can bounce back from a Galway fall in the novice chase.

The controversy-plagued Punchestown track gets back into the racing groove with a meeting tomorrow and Kilcash Castle represents O'Brien in the handicap chase.

A better bet, however, looks like being Patsy Veale in the conditions hurdle. The Queally runner was a disappointment in the Galway Hurdle but the ground conditions now should suit.