Declaration Of War: was pushed out to 5-2 for the Irish Champion Stakes

 PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos), BY JON LEES7:13PM 5 SEP 2013 

The threat of significant rain at Leopardstown and Haydock resulted in the two favourites for Saturday’s showpiece events proving easy to back come Thursday night.

Declaration Of War, who put up a career-best effort to win the Juddmonte International Stakes at York last month on good to firm, was pushed out to 5-2 (from 2 and 9-4) by Paddy Power and BetVictor for the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes, while Al Kazeem, who prefers cut in the ground, was widely cut into 3-1, from as big as 9-2.

Sponsor Betfred were among those firms to ease Haydock Sprint Cup favourite Lethal Force, to 5-2 (from 9-4) – bet365 were another. Garswood, who won the Lennox Stakes last time out on good to soft, was shortened to as low as 6-1, having been double that price on Thursday morning.

Revealing the situation at Leopardstown, which also hosts the Group 1 Coolmore-sponsored Matron Stakes on Saturday, the track’s racing and operations manager Nessa Joyce said on Thursday night: “The ground is firming up in parts. We will probably go good to firm, firm in places tomorrow morning and will get a very early update on the weather to inform everyone before declarations.

“The forecast from this morning has changed and now we expect rain earlier on Friday, with the heaviest falling on Friday evening rather than Saturday morning. It’s predicted we’ll definitely get over 10mm overnight, and some forecasts suggest a lot more than that.”

She added: “With the ground continuing to dry and no rain here since our last meeting on August 15, rain would be welcome, to a point.”

Lethal Force’s trainer Clive Cox admitted to concerns about the potential for a significant change in conditions at Haydock, though he also has second favourite Reckless Abandon, who would not be as inconvenienced by give underfoot.

Cox told Racing UK: “Lethal Force and Reckless Abandon are two very high-class horses but I’m very concerned about the weather forecast. Reckless is a bit more proven on a slower surface of the two, so it would be a bigger concern for Lethal Force. He is in great form, so I hope it’s all right.”

Haydock clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright reported on Thursday: “We’re due 10-15mm of rain. Our man John Kettley’s view is that we are going to get it from midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow. We have been warned in advance and have avoided watering the stands’ side track, which we’re saving for Saturday.”

On what is a bumper Saturday, bookmakers have also priced up four other races. Sir Mark Prescott did not declare former favourite Mutual Regard for the Betfred-backed Old Borough Cup, also at Haydock, but still has the market leader inPallasator, who was 4-1 with the sponsor on Thursday night.

Godolphin’s Emirates Melbourne Cup hope Royal Empire is 3-1 favourite for the Totepool September Stakes at Kempton with Betfred. Cafe Society retained overall favouritism for the Ladbrokes Mobile Handicap at Ascot – though Ladbrokes quote both him and Special Meaning at 5-1 – while the progressive Montiridge is 11-8 with sponsor Betfred for the Superior Mile at Haydock.

fonte: RacingPost