Fanshawe playing waiting game with star Soviet Song

Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe is hoping it will be a case of better late than never after shelving plans to give his star miler Soviet Song her first run of the year in Ireland this weekend.

The five-year-old Marju mare proved better than ever in 2004, when she followed her success in the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes at the Curragh by finishing a close second at Royal Ascot and winning three memorable Group One contests during the summer.

Saturday's Ridgewood Pearl Stakes had been pencilled in as an early target this year, but Soviet Song is taking longer than expected to recover from a minor infection which ruled her out of last weekend's Lockinge Stakes and will now be prepared with Royal Ascot at York in mind.

"She's not going to be running in Ireland," said Fanshawe. "She has scoped clean, but the Curragh race comes a little too soon after her infection. She had been pleasing me up until she suffered the infection, but it's a long season. She still has time on her side and, depending on how she is, she'll now be aimed at either the Windsor Forest Stakes or the Queen Anne Stakes."

Even without Soviet Song, this weekend's two-day meeting at the Curragh promises to shed valuable light on a series of the biggest races this year.

Saturday's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas revolves to a large extent around Aidan O'Brien, who is responsible for eight of the 17 entries but is keeping his cards typically close to his chest over whether his Newmarket Guineas hero Footstepsinthesand will be among them.