O'Brien insists timing is right for Steinbeck

AIDAN O'Brien has issued an upbeat bulletin regarding Steinbeck as the high-profile colt prepares to make his seasonal debut in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh tomorrow.

Steinbeck is one of six runners in the Classic for Ballydoyle, but O'Brien has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the son of Footstepsinthesand.

Having finished fourth in the Dewhurst on only his second start, he was forced to miss the Newmarket Guineas after a little problem but it is all systems go now. "We're going to run, it will be his first run of the year but he's just ready to run and hopefully he's ready to run a nice race," said O'Brien.

"He won his conditions race really impressively, then he ran in the Dewhurst where he ran a lovely race but just got tired in last 50 yards. He was ready to run in the spring but had a little setback before Newmarket.

"Rather than force him and rush him, we gave him time and he's had it now. He's had a racecourse gallop, matured well and he's just ready to start back," he told At The Races.

O'Brien also runs Fencing Master, second in the Dewhurst and seventh on his reappearance in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, four lengths behind Makfi.

"He's in good form, he came out of the race well," he added.

"He's a grand, laid-back horse. He's had his run and maybe in an ideal world we'd have preferred it if they had gone a little bit faster for his first race back."

O'Brien's other runners are the outsiders Dynasty, Encompassing, Purple Heart and Viscount Nelson.

Godolphin are happy to pitch Anna Salai straight into the Classic fray at the Curragh on Sunday following her move from Andre Fabre's French stable.

The Dubawi filly goes for glory in the Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas after she opened her account in the Group Three Prix De La Grotte at Longchamp last month. She has since joined Mahmood Al Zarooni's stable at Newmarket and is reported to have settled in nicely ahead of her big-race date.

"She's doing very well. She came over at the same time as Rewilding from France," Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford told At The Races. "She's settled in well and we targeted the Irish Guineas as opposed to the French Guineas and she's going to the Curragh in top condition."