Second Empire set to make Guineas return

Aidan O'Brien gave the strongest hint yet that Second Empire will reappear in Saturday's Hibernia Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh when yesterday describing the unbeaten colt as "a strong possibility" for the first Irish classic of the season.

Second Empire worked yesterday morning under Christy Roche and pleased the rider with his performance.

"We were very happy with him and his weight is good," said O'Brien, who left five other Ballydoyle colts in at yesterday's forfeit stage.

One of those five is King Of Kings but significantly O'Brien declared that if Second Empire takes part in the Guineas, King Of Kings will not.

His other four are Bianconi, Saratoga Springs, Chateau Royal and Coconut Creek. "They all satisfied us in their work this morning but we won't decide who runs where until later in the week," O'Brien added.

There are 15 still left in the 2,000 Guineas, including Godolphin's impressive Newmarket winner, Fa-Eq, who was supplemented yesterday at a cost of £25,000. He will be the mount of Frankie Dettori. Other English -trained colts left in include the Free Handicap winner, Desert Prince, and Peter Chapple-Hyam's French 2,000 Guineas winner Victory Note. The latter will bid to extend Chapple-Hyam's excellent record in the race, which he has won with Rodrigo De Triano, Spectrum and Turtle Island. Dermot Weld will rely on the Tetrarch Stakes winner, TwoTwenty-Two, who was described by a stable spokesman yesterday as "110 per cent ready". He added: "He worked satisfactorily this morning, although we have a slight worry about the ground drying out so quickly."

Weld, however, will not have a runner in Sunday's Airlie Coolmore Irish 1,000 Guineas.

There are 19 fillies left in the race, including two supplementary entries at a cost of £18,500 each. Godolphin's La Nuit Rose, third in the French 1,000, has been added, as has Tommy Stack's Killarney winner, Time Limit.

Aidan O'Brien has left in five. Kincara Palace is an unlikely runner but the other four will take their chance, although no riding arrangements have been made. "Christy (Roche) has the pick but he hasn't made his mind up yet," O'Brien said. "Good natural ground will suit every horse in the race and I don't think there will be any need to water the course," he added.

A strong English challenge will be headed by Cloud Castle, on whom John Reid will try and win his fifth Irish classic, but other English-trained fillies likely to travel include Crazee Mental and Robert Armstrong's Ikhteyaar.

1,000 Guineas betting (Paddy Power) : 2-1 Shahtoush, 5-2 Clouds Castle, 7-2 La Nuit Rose, 8-1 Tarascon, 12-1 Crazee Mental, Heed My Warning, 16-1 Insight, Kincara Palace, Mempari, 20-1 bar.