O'Brien expecting tough race for Battle Joseph O'Brien feels Lines Of Battle has plenty on his plate despite taking a significant drop in class for the TRM Silver Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. A high-class juvenile and winner of the UAE Derby at Meydan on his first start as a three-year-old, Aidan O'Brien's American-bred colt was prepared for a tilt at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs last month. He was far from disgraced in the 'Run for the Roses', finishing seventh in the hands of Ryan Moore, and is back at Listed level on his return home. However, with Jim Bolger's Irish 2,000 Guineas third Trading Leather in the field, the trainer's son and principal rider Joseph is not expecting a walk in he park. "It's a very hot race and he'll probably need a career-best to win," said the champion jockey. "He's a horse who takes plenty of racing and he seems to have come out of his race in America in good form. We haven't done a lot with him since, but he seems well. "He's won in Dundalk and won his maiden at the Curragh on good ground, so the ground should be fine for him on Sunday. "He has to give 2lb to a horse rated 2lb higher than him (Trading Leather) , so we'll just have to see what happens. Hopefully he'll run a good race." O'Brien senior also runs Kingston Jamaica, the mount of Seamie Heffernan. John Oxx finally gets the chance to unleash the exciting Zand following a difficult spring. The three-year-old was hugely impressive when winning a Leopardstown maiden last autumn, but has not been seen in competitive action since. Oxx said: "He had a bit of foot trouble at home so he's out a lot later than he should have been. He should have been out in mid-April, so we're two months behind. "We're looking forward to seeing how he gets on. He's only a maiden winner at the moment, although he has a rating of 99. "Hopefully he will go on and be useful and he has got good entries, but they have to be made a long way ahead, usually before you find out how good they are!" Tracey Collins is hoping Captain Joy can prove his stamina on his second attempt at a mile and a quarter. "He's in very good form and ran a good race over a mile the last day," said Collins. "The last time we ran him over a mile and a quarter he didn't seem to get home, but that was on a yielding ground and we're keen to give it another go on the faster ground he should get on Sunday. "We're stepping up into a higher class now and it's an unbelievable race, but hopefully he'll give a good account of himself. "The ground is a massive factor for him." Also featuring in a 10-runner field are David Wachman's Aloof and the Johnny Murtagh-trained Foxtrot Romeo.
