O'Brien's Devoted looks best

PREVIEW THE CURRAGH:CHELTENHAM IS only just out of the way but flat racing's classic campaign kicks into gear at the first Curragh meeting of the year tomorrow. A post-racing gallops session by some of Aidan O'Brien's potential superstars will not include Steinbeck who has already been all but ruled out of the English 2,000 Guineas.

The highly-rated colt is a 10 to 1 third favourite in some ante-post lists for Newmarket on May 1st but O'Brien reported yesterday: "Steinbeck has had a setback and will probably miss the English Guineas. The plan now is to train him for the Irish 2,000 Guineas."

Even though the champion trainer is yet to have a runner in 2010, the difficulty of keeping these brilliant but immature three years in one piece was also emphasised yesterday when O'Brien revealed his Group One winner Jan Vermeer will not be joining St Nicholas Abbey in a work out tomorrow evening.

"Jan Vermeer got a stone bruise and he has spent the last four days swimming. Hopefully it is nothing serious but he isn't ready to go to the Curragh," he said.

Jan Vermeer, the Criterium-International winner, is currently a 10 to 1 shot for the Epsom Derby but all attention tomorrow will be on the unbeaten juvenile champion St Nicholas Abbey who is as short as 2 to 1 favourite with Ladbrokes for both the Guineas and the Derby. "He will do a bit at the Curragh alright. He seems fine," said O'Brien.

It could be a profitable afternoon on the track proper for both O'Brien and Johnny Murtagh with the Ballydoyle powerhouse looking to have good prospects of a treble. A total of nine runners line up for the Group Three Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes and O'Brien has two of the three-year-olds in the contest with Murtagh on board the 104-rated Devoted To You.

Despite the time of year it is noticeable that five of the last six renewals of this mile event have seen the classic generation beat their older rivals and Devoted To You looked a very progressive filly last season.

A nine-length maiden success at Galway was followed by a creditable second to her stable companion Lillie Langtry in a Leopardstown Group 2. Fran Berry takes his first ride as number one rider to the John Oxx yard when Zaralanta lines up for the six-furlong handicap.

Oxx's first runners of 2010 are both in this race with Bean Uasal joining her stable companion, but Zaralanta looks the most interesting contender given that she looked a very exciting prospect at this meeting last year when easily winning a maiden on her debut.

She wasn't seen again until October when only eighth to Aspectoflove in a Listed event at Naas, but it looks significant that the Aga Khan's team are persevering with Zaralantainto a four-year-old career, especially off a potentially lenient mark of 87.