Footstepsinthesand heads O'Brien's strong challenge

Footstepsinthesand has been made favourite to complete the elusive Newmarket-Curragh double in Saturday's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas, but a strong Aidan O'Brien squad overall still hasn't deterred a resurgent Godolphin from taking him on again with Dubawi.

Seventeen colts were left in the first Classic of the Irish season at yesterday's forfeit stage, and almost half of those are from Ballydoyle. O'Brien can pick from an eight-strong entry as he goes in search of a fifth success in the race, but the unbeaten Footstepsinthesand looks like being the standard bearer after his spectacular triumph in the Newmarket Guineas.

Rock Of Gibraltar managed to complete the double in 2002, but it was a further 10 years back to Rodrigo De Triano in 1992 to find the previous double Guineas winner.

Also in the Ballydoyle team is Oratorio, who finished fourth in Newmarket, and significantly Grand Central and Albert Hall, who have figured in the betting for the Epsom Derby, are also entered.

Bookmaker reaction was divided, with Paddy Power making Footstepsinthesand their 11 to 10 favourite, while Cashmans went the same price about there being an O'Brien-trained winner.

But Godolphin, fresh from Sunday's triumph in the French Guineas with Shamardal, are hoping Dubawi can become another highly rated juvenile champion to come good on his second start of the year.

Dubawi started a warm favourite at Newmarket, but was unhappy on the fast ground and could only finish fifth. "He is definitely worth another chance if the ground is suitable," said the Godolphin spokesman, Simon Crisford. "It was too quick at Newmarket. But the Curragh will be a test and he will have to show he is up to it. It will be up to Dubawi to prove he is better than he showed last time.

"He is coming along well and worked this morning on the Al Bahatri gallop. Frankie (Dettori) rode him and he was very pleased. But the ground at the Curragh will have to be suitable. If it's fast he won't run," he added.

There appears little chance of that, with the Met Office predicting up to 10mm of rain will fall on the Curragh today and tomorrow.

"We are good on the straight course and good to firm on the round at the moment," said the track manager, Paul Hensey, yesterday. "If the forecast is accurate I would imagine it would be on the easy side of good on the straight over the weekend and good on the round. But that is if it's accurate."

There was one supplementary entry in the Guineas yesterday with the Neville Callaghan-trained Rebel Rebel, runner-up at Newmarket, added to the race at a cost of €40,000.

There was also an eye-catching entry for the John Oxx-trained Raydan, who was highly touted before his debut last month only to finish down the field on very soft ground. "He will work on Tuesday morning and then we will see how he is," said Oxx yesterday. "It's not ideal for a maiden with no experience, but if he worked well, and we're happy, and the race looks suitable, then he could run. He's a top of the ground horse, but if it's not very soft it would be okay. It depends how he works though."

Other likely home-trained runners are Democratic Deficit, who ran an unlucky sixth at Newmarket, and Bobs Pride, who will drop back in distance from 10 furlongs. The latter's trainer, Dermot Weld, won the race with Flash Of Steel in 1986.

Saturday's support card is likely to feature the reappearance of Soviet Song, who went on to land three Group One victories in 2004 after scoring in the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes on this card.

James Fanshawe's mare will have a maximum of 10 opponents in the Group Two on Saturday, including the former top sprinter Airwave. However, the Godolphin entry Sundrop is unlikely to travel.

Crisford also said yesterday that Doyen is "very unlikely" to travel for Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup and will instead wait for the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Sixteen are left in the Group Three Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes, including last week's York winner The Kiddykid.

Paddy Power 2,000 Guineas betting: 11-10 Footstepsinthesand, 7-2 Oratorio, 9-2 Dubawi, 10 Rebel Rebel, 12 Democratic Deficit, 14 Aragorn, 16 Raydan, 20 Rebuttal, 25 bar.Brian O'Connor

Azamour bruises foot

A doubt over the participation of Azamour in Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup has emerged after the four-year-old bruised a foot yesterday. Last season's St James's Palace and Irish Champion Stakes winner was working on the Curragh when the problem showed up.

"He cantered and then pulled up a bit sore," said trainer John Oxx. "It's nothing too serious and I still hope to get him there. He will miss a bit of work on Tuesday, which is unwelcome as he needs every bit. But he is in great shape."

The Godolphin spokesman Simon Crisford also reported yesterday that Doyen is a "highly unlikely" runner in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. "We will probably wait for the Coronation Cup," he said.