Irish presence on and off the track at Wetherby

Sandra McCarthy is hoping that Eye Candy will line up in Saturday´s £18,000-added Listed Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle, although the three-year-old´s participation in the two mile event is dependent on the weather over the next few days.

McCarthy said: 'Eye Candy will run in the Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle if the ground isn´t too heavy- we think the English soft would be better than the Irish soft.

'The other thing is I´m cancelling travelling today because of the storm and we´re hoping that we will be able to sail after the storm, if the sea has calmed down sufficiently to let us get on board. Maybe it won´t be as bad as they´ve said and we´re coming if the ground is good. I´m hoping to have Ruby Walsh riding him.'

The winner of a Flat handicap for McCarthy at Naas in July, Eye Candy has had just one outing over hurdles when third in a three-year-old maiden event at Tipperary last month.

The trainer gave an upbeat report of his progress since that run and explained why she was unwilling to risk him on bottomless ground.

'Eye Candy is fine since Tipperary and he´s come on. We gave him a bit of a rest after that run and now he´s come back, he seems to be in good form,' she continued.

'Tipperary was quite soft but I´m definitely not going to run him on anything that would be anywhere near heavy - it´s too long a season to be ruining him on heavy ground.'

McCarthy is not a household name but she hails from a true racing family. She is the daughter of the great Paddy Mullins, who trained Dawn Run to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986, and the sister of Irish trainers Willie and Tony.

'I don´t have enough horses to talk about - I´m only allowed to have four anyway as I have a restricted licence. I´m very much private - I was an amateur rider and now I´m an amateur trainer!' she joked.

Irish interest will not be restricted to the track itself. Wetherby Racecourse has an arrangement with its Irish counterpart Navan and a coachload of Irish racegoers will be present at the Yorkshire track on Saturday to cheer Eye Candy home.

Tim Betteridge, Wetherby´s Chief Executive, reported the current going changed at Wetherby and is now: 'Good to Soft,' this morning.

He added: 'It has been dry at Wetherby since Monday. The weather forecast predicts wind and some showers through Thursday, but with the prospects of the weather brightening up towards the weekend.'