Lightening Pearl will travel over from Ireland to Newmarket before a decision is made on her participation in Sunday's QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
Lyons' ace set to travel over from Ireland before final decision is made
Lightening Pearl will travel over from Ireland to Newmarket before a decision is made on her participation in Sunday's QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
The Ger Lyons-trained filly won three times from five starts as a juvenile, rounding off an excellent campaign by claiming Group One glory in the six-furlong Cheveley Park Stakes at Headquarters.
She is set to return to the Rowley Mile for her Classic bid this weekend but David Redvers, racing manager for owners Pearl Bloodstock, insists she will not be in the line-up if conditions are deemed too testing.
"She will almost certainly travel, unless it absolutely buckets it down with rain tonight. I'd imagine it will be Saturday before we make a decision on whether we run or not," said Redvers.
"She won't run if the ground is any worse than good to soft as we don't want her to have a hard race on soft ground on her very first run of the year.
"She looks absolutely magnificent and I really can't wait to see her get on the racecourse again.
"Newmarket is a track that drains well, so let's hope for a dry few days and that should give us a fighting chance of running on Sunday."
Joseph O'Brien has no such ground worries for his mount, unbeaten red-hot favourite Maybe, who is trained by his father, Aidan.
O'Brien junior told At The Races: "She was flawless last year, five out of five. She never looked like getting beaten in any of her races, so hopefully she can run a nice race.
"She won at Ascot on soft ground and has won on all types of ground, so I don't see the ground being a major issue for her."
Meanwhile, the supplemented Fred Darling winner Moonstone, trained by Ralph Beckett, has attracted ante-post support and is 11-2 second-favourite from 7-1 with Coral.
Coral spokesman David Stevens said: "Having won her trial on soft ground, which persuaded connections to add her to the 1000 Guineas field, Moonstone Magic is one filly who won't mind the rain-softened ground at Newmarket, and punters now make her the biggest danger to favourite Maybe."
