Racing: Rock poised to make it a clean sweep for O'Brien

Rock of Gibraltar was yesterday installed the red-hot favourite to make history for Aidan O'Brien in the Irish 2,000 Guineas tomorrow.

The Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner is quoted at 2-7 by Irish bookmakers Cashmans to complete a clean sweep of colts' Classics over a mile for his trainer, whose Landseer won the French equivalent earlier this month.

Rock Of Gibraltar was among just seven final declarations made yesterday for the Curragh contest, in which he will be ridden by Michael Kinane – who missed Newmarket through suspension.

O'Brien, who has won three of the last five runnings of the race, saddled the first three home last year and could do so again if the betting is a guide.

His Century City, to be ridden by Seamus Heffernan, is 8-1 second favourite, with Della Francesca (Colm O'Donoghue) 14-1 joint third favourite, and Nostradamus (Paul Scallan) a 33-1 chance. Outlining plans for some of the colts he took out of the Guineas, O'Brien said: "Castle Gandolfo and Creekview are possibles for the Prix Jean Prat. And Tendulkar will probably go for the Greenlands Stakes, along with Lahinch."

Jimmy Fortune rides tomorrow's sole British challenger, Foreign Accent, who finished seventh in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury for John Gosden, with Johnny Murtagh on John Oxx's Ahsanabad and Pat Smullen aboard Dermot Weld's Sights On Gold.

Ireland has been badly hit by rain of late but the Curragh manager, Paul Hensey, forecast ground "no worse than soft" for this weekend's meeting.

"I walked the straight and the round course this morning and it is no worse than soft on either and I have no doubts about racing this weekend," he said.

Richard Hughes is confident that the French 1,000 Guineas winner Zenda will handle conditions when she attempts to follow up in Sunday's Irish equivalent at the Curragh.

"It was quite dead in France when she won," the jockey said yesterday. "I worked her the other morning on soft ground and she absolutely flew. She wouldn't like it heavy but hopefully there will be good drying days on Friday and Saturday as the Curragh dries out well."

O'Brien revealed that he will run Quarter Moon, Kournakova, Maryinsky and Starbourne from his seven acceptors in the 1,000, with riding arrangements to be determined today.

He also announced that he is looking at running Diaghilev and Black Sam Bellamy in Sunday week's French Derby, with Kieren Fallon booked to ride Ballingarry in the Italian equivalent this Sunday.

IRISH 2,000 GUINEAS (Curragh, tomorrow) Cashmans: 2-7 Rock Of Gibraltar, 8-1 Century City, 14-1 Della Francesca, Foreign Accent, 16-1 Ahsanabad, Sights On Gold, 33-1 Nostradamus.