Curragh© Photo Healy Racing
Michael Dods is once again keeping his fingers crossed for suitable ground conditions to allow Mecca's Angel to finally return to action in today's Invincible Spirit Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.
The four-year-old looked set to take high rank in the sprinting division after a facile Group Three triumph at Longchamp in early May, but has not been seen in competitive action since.
Dods made the difficult decision to withdraw his exciting filly from the King's Stand at Royal Ascot just hours before the race due to the quick surface in Berkshire and she has subsequently skipped an intended engagement at Sandown.
The official going at the Curragh on Friday morning was described as good to yielding and the County Durham-based trainer is keeping everything crossed for some ease in the ground.
"It's been a frustrating season with her so far after it started so well in France," said Dods.
"With a bit of rain Thursday and the possibility of a bit more on Saturday, we were keen to take her over.
"It's just been very dry, much drier than normal. You would have expected at least one of her options to have been run with a bit of give, but they haven't.
"Hopefully we get the chance to run her, but if we run her on good to firm there's a chance we might not get to run her again, so we won't risk her if we think it's too quick."
Mecca's Angel spearheads a four-strong British challenge on the five-furlong Group Two, with Monsieur Joe Wind Fire and Stepper Point all declared.
Monsieur Joe turns out just a week after being beaten a neck in the City Walls Stakes at York, but trainer Paul Midgley reports his sprinter to be in rude health.
He said: "He's in great form and ran an excellent race at York last week.
"He only went half an hour up the road, had a gallop and came home and he's as hard as nails, so he might as well go to Ireland as sit at home twiddling his thumbs.
"It looks a tough race, but there's a bit of juice in the ground and I'm sure he won't be far away."
The David Brown-trained filly Wind Fire has not managed to get her head in front in over a year, but has run some excellent races so far this season, including a close-up second in Sandown's Coral Charge a fortnight ago.
"She deserves a change of luck, for sure," said Brown.
"I thought that with a clear run she would have won the Temple Stakes at Haydock and it was a similar story last time at Sandown.
"With clear space she would surely have won, but she didn't get out in time, unfortunately, and Oisin (Murphy) got a bit of a holiday.
"She must be one to watch out for."
Stepper Point was fourth in the same Sandown contest and his trainer William Muir was also left ruing his luck after a rough race.
He said: "What happened at Sandown wasn't our fault, but we're moving on from that now and the main thing we took from that race is that the horse is sparking again."
