Kalypso Katie has been installed a 2 to 1 favourite for Sunday's Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks despite Sheikh Mohammed's intention to fork out £50,000 today to supplement the Godolphin duo, Melikah and Teggiano.
The two Godolphin fillies will be supplemented this morning, although the stable's spokesman Simon Crisford said yesterday: "No jockey plans have been sorted out yet. I will have to talk to Sheikh Mohammed sooner rather than later about those."
Kalypso Katie's trainer Jeremy Noseda confirmed yesterday: "The filly is on schedule for the Curragh on Sunday." However, the plans for Michael Kinane, who rode Kalypso Katie into second in the Epsom Oaks, are less clear. The champion jockey is still being plagued with back problems.
The English raiding party had another string added to its bow yesterday with the news that Mark Johnston's Littlepacepaddocks will take her chance in the Oaks. She is a Listed race winner at Newbury and a sister to Johnston's hardy campaigner Yavanna's Pace.
"All being well, she'll run in the Oaks. I think she's fine, though she's still a backward filly and it can be hard to tell. She will be taking a step up in class but they have to do it some time," Johnston said.
Littlepacepaddocks has been given a 10 to 1 quote by the Cork firm Cashmans, who started betting on the fourth Irish classic of the season yesterday, but the market is dominated by the trio who finished second, third and fourth at Epsom to the absent Love Divine. The Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Preseli is the shortest of the intended Irish runners at 6 to 1 but largely the home team is looking weak on the ground.
John Oxx intends working the Roscommon maiden winner, Mouramara, this morning but conceded yesterday: "It looks a bit ambitious and at this stage she's only 25 per cent likely to run. But we will see how she works in the morning."
Melikah, a neck behind Kalypso Katie at Epsom, and Teggiano, beaten a length and a quarter by Miletrian in Royal Ascot's Ribblesdale Stakes, will bid for a first Godolphin victory in the Irish Oaks, but Sheikh Mohammed has already won the race he sponsors four times.
Unite won for the Sheikh in 1987, Alydaress followed up in 1989 and in 1988 there was a dead heat between the Sheikh's duo, Dimenuendo and Melodist.
Cashmans bet: 2 Kalypso Katie, 3 Melikah, 7/2 Petrushka, 6 Preseli, 10 Miletrian, Teggiano & Littlepacepaddocks, 20 Chiang-Mai, 33 Mouramara
Pat Eddery and Sir Michael Stoute continued their good run by landing the Limpley Stoke Maiden at Bath yesterday with Drama Class, who comfortably beat Phantom Rain.
