'Little setback' rules antepost favourite Al Riffa out of Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh
The Joseph O'Brien-trained Wootton Bassett colt won two of his three starts as a juvenile last year, including in the Group 1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes when last seen on September 11, but will be an absentee this weekend.
O’Brien said: “He has just had a little training setback. Hopefully it is nothing too serious and he will be back later in the summer. He has options at Ascot and further afield than that as well.
“These things happen, so it’s a long way from a problem. It is obviously disappointing for the owners [Jassim Bin Ali Al Attiya]. This race has been his target for the last while, but we will look forward to things later in the summer.
“Timing-wise Royal Ascot will be fine, but we will have to decide whether we want to run there or in other races. We’ll not be rushing into any decision.
“Everything else is good. We are looking forward to what is going to be a great weekend of racing at the Curragh. It is very competitive action and there’s much to look forward to.”
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