Alive Alive Oh winning in runaway style at Navan© Photo Healy Racing
The line-up for this afternoon's Darley Irish Oaks has been reduced to seven after Alive Alive Oh was taken out due to unsuitable ground conditions.
Connections have agonised all week over whether to run the daughter of Duke Of Marmalade with the current heatwave ensuring ground conditions will be quick.
Extensive watering has taken place at the Curragh where the going is officially good to firm this afternoon.
Alive Alive Oh has not been seen in public since winning the Listed Salsabil Stakes in impressive fashion at Navan over two months ago.
She also missed engagements in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot due to fast ground, and the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last month when she was in season.
Fozzy Stack, assistant to his father, said: "We will probably back off her a bit and wait for the autumn.
"If the race had been at 3.15 and not 6.15 it might have made a difference as the ground is drying out so fast."
