Preparations 'on track' at Ballybrit

The Ballybrit authorities yesterday expressed total confidence next week's hugely anticipated Galway festival would go ahead as planned over seven days.

An official report of "heavy" going yesterday fuelled disquiet in some circles that early dates might have to be cancelled in order to let Wednesday's William Hill Plate and Thursday's Guinness Hurdle go ahead.

But the Galway manager, John Moloney, said there were "no problems" about the cash-rich week's action taking place as scheduled.

"The ground might be heavy right now but there's a very high drying wind here at the moment and we're very much on track," he said.

"We are forecast to have some good days from now until the weekend as well. Yes, we have been told to expect a good deal of rain on Sunday but then it will clear up for the week . . . There have been no discussions about switching days or anything like that. It will be a big undertaking for us but we have a plan, we are abiding by it, and now we plan to kick on."

The prospect of testing going does not seem to have affected entries; 41 horses remain in the Day One feature, the GPT Handicap.

They include the top-rated Galistic, who is on a mark of 100 after winning the Listed Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown on her last start.

Willie Mullins has four left in the race including the star veteran Adamant Approach as well as the versatile Impudent. Last Sunday's Grade Three Hurdle winner Essex is also there, as is Christy Roche's Guinness Hurdle hope Streets Of Gold.

There was other festival news yesterday: next April's prestigious Punchestown meeting will for the first time be a five-day, running from Tuesday, April 22nd, to Saturday, April 26th, the final day of the 2007-2008 jumps season.

Horse Racing Ireland announced yesterday a new €220,000 handicap hurdle would be the centrepiece of the Saturday, when the overall festival attendance is expected to break 100,000 for the first time.

The overall prize fund for the week will be nearly €2.8 million.

Boylesports have issued a price of just 2 to 1 about Aidan O'Brien saddling the first two home in Saturday's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, but the Ballydoyle first string, Dylan Thomas, was a drifter in some betting in expectation of soft ground.

Irish interest in Sunday's Group One Prix D'Astarte at Deauville will centre on Kieren Fallon, who has been booked by Jeremy Noseda to ride the Falmouth Stakes winner Simply Perfect.

Jim Bolger's Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo misses the mile event and will wait for the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown in September.

Fallon will be at Limerick tonight for three rides that include the mount on Our Jo Jo in the opening fillies maiden.

John Hayden's horse made a fine debut at Gowran when third to Rainbow Crossing and Triskel and the form was significantly boosted when the latter landed the listed Silver Flash Stakes last week.

Fallon is on Aura Of Calm in the mile-and-a-half handicap, where Alessandro will be well fancied.

But Our Jaffa showed a return to form at Killarney recently and the soft ground will be no problem for the Harry Rogers runner.

Tony Martin's five-year-old Imperial Rose won well on the flat at the Curragh and has solid claims for the two-mile conditions hurdle.