O'Brien mulls over colt's plans

Racing: Footstepsinthesand, the gambled on "second-string" whose ultra-impressive debut at Naas last Sunday provoked some fancy prices for next year's 2,000 Guineas, might not be finished for the season just yet.

The Giant's Causeway colt was backed down to 3 to 1 favourite before hacking up under Colm O'Donoghue six days ago and may make a quick reappearance in Monday's Group Three Kilavullan Stakes at Leopardstown.

He is one of five Aidan O'Brien entries among the 16 left in the race along with the Birdcatcher-winner, Dark Cheetah, and Scandinavia who remains only a "possible" to travel to the Breeders' Cup instead.

Immediately after his debut victory, O'Brien said Footstepsinthesand, who got a 33 to 1 2,000 Guineas quote from Cashmans, would not run again this term.

However, O'Brien reported yesterday: "He is a possible to run at Leopardstown, him and the other horse that won at Naas. Scandinavia wouldn't like soft ground but he is still only a possible for America."

Another Ballydoyle star that could appear in south Dublin on Monday is Acropolis who belied huge odds to run a massive fourth behind Bago in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The 119-rated colt could reappear in the Listed Trio Stakes over 10 furlongs.

"He is a possible but it hasn't been decided yet. At the moment it looks like he will stay in training as a four-year-old with us," O'Brien said.

Despite the uncertainty about Scandinavia (Juvenile) and Mona Lisa (Juvenile Fillies) going to Lone Star Park in Texas, the O'Brien two-year-olds figure among the betting for the Breeders' Cup in eight days' time.

Ladbrokes rate the Royal Lodge runner-up Scandinava a 12 to 1 shot to beat the best of the Americans while Mona Lisa, who holds a Silken Glider entry at the Curragh tomorrow, is 16 to 1 to win on the dirt.

The European contingent for Lone Star are due to fly out on Monday on a charter flight from Shannon to Dallas but an O'Brien horse already in North America is Brian Boru who will be ridden by Jamie Spencer in Sunday night's Canadian International at Woodbine, Toronto.

Spencer will fly out to Canada after riding Albert Hall in tomorrow's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. The Beresford winner will be joined by his stable companion Hills Of Aran in the final field of eight which was declared yesterday.

On the home front, there are still hopes that the busy Bank Holiday weekend fixture list can be got through in full despite the bad weather that is set to continue through the next few days.

The greatest danger appears to be Wexford which is due to race tomorrow and Sunday but the going at the track is currently "heavy".

The Wexford manager Michael Murphy said yesterday: "We had atrocious rain overnight. It's raceable at the moment but it wouldn't take a lot more and there is some rain forecast. We will play it by ear about an inspection but we're hoping we will be lucky about avoiding some of the worst of it."

The ground is "soft" on the straight course at the Curragh and "yielding to soft" on the round track. Little change is expected by tomorrow.

"We had about an inch of overnight rain but we have had a dry and windy day so it is not too bad," reported the Curragh manager, Paul Hensey.

Leopardstown's going is currently "soft" after 29mms of overnight rain.

"The forecast is pretty rubbish but we are not panicking just yet," said the Leopardstown racing manager Tom Burke. "More heavy rain is expected overnight, then showers and there is a risk of a longer spell of rain again on Sunday. So there is no let-up. But Joe Collins (clerk of the course) walked it today and it is currently no worse than soft."

Rain is also forecast for Galway which races on Sunday and Monday but the Ballybrit manager John Moloney said: "In no way are we worried at all. It's soft at the moment, almost going to heavy but we have fresh ground that is in good order. It will be testing but we are not worried about going ahead."