Irish Derby: Australia heads field of seven in bid for Classic double

According to the bookmakers, Roger Varian’s Kingston Hill is the only credible rival to Australia in Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh but the trainer would be “very reluctant to run” on fast ground.

Australia beat Kingston Hill by just over a length in the Investec Derby earlier this month and there are a few who believe the more conventional nature of the County Kildare track will suit the Newmarket raider more than Epsom’s twists and turns.

However, despite already having made the journey over the Irish Sea, Varian has reiterated that he will not risk the Racing Post Trophy winner on ground he thinks is too fast.

“He’s gone over there today, he should be there by now I think,” said Varian. “I think the weather tonight and into tomorrow morning is key. They are forecast 8-12mm of rain and hopefully they get that and a bit more. I hope the ground is at least good by Saturday. I would be very reluctant to run him on anything described as faster than good.”

Australia is one of four runners for O’Brien with Geoffrey Chaucer, Kingfisher and Orchestra all taking their chances in a race the Ballydoyle handler has dominated in recent years. O’Brien won seven successive renewals before Jim Bolger’s Trading Leather snapped his sequence last year.

Dermot Weld has declared Derrinstown Derby Trial winner Fascinating Rock, who finished eighth at Epsom, but he would also like to see a little more ease in the ground.

Speaking at Naas on Wednesday evening, Weld said: “It’s pretty ground dependent. Hopefully they get plenty of rain – it’s pretty firm at the moment so they’ll have to get the rain or water it sufficiently.

“He’s in great form. He hasn’t been burning up the gallops or anything since Epsom because I haven’t asked him to, he’s just had an easy time. If he runs, I’m convinced we’ll see the horse who won his Group races in Ireland rather than the one that ran at Epsom.”

Punters at tonight's Curragh meeting will be hoping to get off to a profitable start to what promises to be a cracking weekend of racing. Ger Lyons' horses have been running well recently and his Captain Teemo should reward support in the Done Deal Apprentice Derby while Curlylocks, a daughter of Galileo, is fancied to land the opening fillies maiden.