Guineas may just be for home horses

The foot-and-mouth crisis could yet provide a window of opportunity for Irish trainers, with the Turf Club admitting yesterday that there is a grave risk of no overseas horses being allowed to challenge for the early classic races.

The Entenmanns-sponsored 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas will be run over the weekend of May 26th-27th, but the Government's foot-and-mouth restrictions may allow home trainers to fight over the home classics between themselves.

The Minister for Agriculture's special advisory group will have preliminary talks with the Turf Club and the Irish Horseracing Authority tomorrow about a date for the possible resumption of racing in Ireland. But also on the agenda will be how to approach the question of overseas entries for this country's top races.

The Turf Club chief executive Brian Kavanagh said yesterday: "We will be looking for some kind of guidance from the Department, but if foot-and-mouth persists in such a large scale in Britain there will definitely be a continuation of restrictions."

Quizzed about the prospects of just Irish-trained horses running in the classics, Kavanagh stressed: "That cannot be ruled out. Realistically it has to be considered."

That might be good news for Irish trainers but it would be a considerable blow to the prestige and the significance of the classics while also hitting the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup, which is run over the same weekend.

A total of 90 horses accepted for the 2,000 Guineas at the recent forfeit stage, with 35 of those trained in Britain and a further six in France. The Godolphin trio of Tobougg, Atlantis Prince and Noverre also figured. Among home trainers, Aidan O'Brien has a colossal 28 horses left in the race.

A total of 110 fillies are left in the 1,000 Guineas, with 43 from Britain and 11 from France, while the Tattersalls Gold Cup, won last year by Montjeu, would be decimated if no overseas runners are allowed.

"It's very difficult to reschedule Group One races due to the European pattern implications," Kavanagh added. "The Department of Agriculture's line on this has been very consistent and the indications are they will take a strong line."

A ban on overseas runners would at least allow a temporary loosening of the overseas grip on the 2,000 Guineas. Just twice in the last 10 years has there been an Irish-trained winner, although there have been four Irish winners of the fillies' race in the same period. The new flat season was due to start last Sunday but attention is now focusing on Joe Walsh's expert group, headed by Professor Michael Monaghan, who will meet with racing's rulers tomorrow to decide if the proposed resumption of racing date of April 14th is a realistic runner.

"The drafting of precautions to be taken in the event of racing restarting will form a major part of the talks and whatever needs to be done to satisfy the Department will be done," Kavanagh said.

Epsom Derby favourite Nayef is among 96 entries published yesterday for the £145,000 Convergent Communications Dante Stakes at York on May 16th.

Aidan O'Brien also has 13 entries in the Dante. Hemingway, who misses the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas because of a setback, has been put in the York race.

The Ballydoyle squad also includes Group One winner Beckett and the well-regarded Galileo.