Prendergast and Bolger voice ground concerns

Trainer Kevin Prendergast has joined Jim Bolger in voicing concerns about the ground at Leopardstown's Thursday night meeting while Prendergast also criticised The Curragh after deciding not to declare his Shimah for Sunday's Independent Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes.

On Thursday night, Bolger was critical of the state of the ground at Leopardstown after his Cuis Ghaire had lost her unbeaten record when finishing second to Rip Van Winkle in the Tyros Stakes.

Prendergast said: "Shimah doesn't run because I think the ground at the Curragh is too fast. A couple of horses I ran at Leopardstown came home very sore. One of them is Mustameet, who is owned by Sheikh Hamdan, and he told me not to run Shimah in the Phoenix Stakes if I had any doubts about the ground at the Curragh."

However, Prendergast's criticism of conditions at the Curragh brought a strong response from racecourse manager, Paul Hensey, who stood by the official advance going description of good to firm and indicated that the ground on the straight course was heading towards good.

Hensey said: "I'm very happy with the state of our ground. In my opinion, anyone who walked the track and used a stick could not be critical of it and certainly could not call it too fast or in any way unsafe.

"We have watered and it is heading towards good on the straight course, where the Phoenix Stakes will be run.

"As far as I'm concerned anyone describing it as being too fast is being unfair and has to be looking for an excuse not to run."

On Friday, Prendergast was adamant that allowing horses to gallop frequently at both tracks contributes to perceived problems with the ground.

He said: "A lot of the problem has to do with too many horses galloping at both tracks. It has become excessive and the ground gets poached as a result. It just isn't good enough and it's about time something was done about it."

According to Prendergast, Shimah, unbeaten in two starts, will now be aimed at either the Lowther Stakes at York or the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the

Curragh.

agh.