Johnny Ward's Irish angle: Jessica Harrington can spring 33-1 shock in Irish 1000 Guineas

A particularly warm week in Ireland, with minimal precipitation in most regions, has resulted in the ground go to a general good to firm on Flat tracks.

I relish this time of year as a punter, as proper summer ground will generally tend to bring about more predictable results, and I feel tracks should be wary of watering: if you do not want to run your horse, do not run him/her.

Long enough is the year when it is soft in Ireland and we need to be mindful of breeding hardy horses, who can cope with natural conditions.

The new-look Curragh is taking shape ahead of the Guineas meeting this weekend. The new stand is coming along nicely and, while it remains inadequate for a Classic weekend, it is getting there.

Ultimately Coolmore and Ballydoyle see the Curragh as a track of such fairness not available elsewhere in Ireland; there was never much chance of racing moving elsewhere during its revamp.

While it will be a bountiful weekend, no doubt, for the dominant axis in the Classics, there may be a little value looking elsewhere.

Saturday:

2.25pm Curragh – Mokhalad at 12-1 with Bet365, Betfair and Paddy Power:

I spent a morning at Mornington Beach lately with three horses from the nearby barn of Damien English.

It was a glorious day and if the horses do not enjoy going to the beach, spending a few minutes in the water and having a playful roll in the sand afterwards, they have a funny way of showing it.

English does well with bargain buys and he has managed to procure progeny of Shamardal, War Front and, in this case, Dubawi. Mokhalad joined the stable from Sir Michael Stoute, for whom he went close in a pair of seven-furlong maiden starts.

However, he won over a trip shy of six at Navan, and is quite pacy for his breeding. With the ground likely too quick for probably favourite Rattling Jewel here, Mokhalad looks to have decent claims of following up at a double-figure price.

5.55pm Curragh – Dance Emperor at 14-1 with Bet365:

This is a tricky handicap but the eye is drawn to Dance Emperor, especially given the form Jessica Harrington is in: ten winners in the fortnight since May 13. Add in a bundle of placed runners, too.

She has not managed a win out of this son of Holy Roman Emperor, who was gelded before his seasonal return, but he is a genuine horse and I expect him to improve for the better ground after a nice run at Cork. A tongue-tie and cheekpieces are added today.

Raphael could be quite interesting for the veteran Kevin Prendergast – not beaten far in a warm nursery off 2lb higher here in August – but the stable has yet to score this term with its Turf runners.

Sunday:

3.35pm Curragh – Espoir D'soleil:

“The horse did what we expected it would do,” is a familiar Dermot Weld refrain in the winner’s enclosure; such was the case when this Galileo-bred snared a Leopardstown maiden last August.

She went straight into handicaps, touched off in a decent Naas contest before meeting a well-treated Mustajeer at the same course.

This one has quite a pedigree – Galileo out of Lady Luck and being a half-sister to seven winners including the yard’s Group One winner Casual Conquest and Group Three heroine Afternoon Sunlight.

It is likely she can improve beyond this mark, now she gets some nice ground and the stable has been in excellent form.

4.10pm Curragh – Alpha Centauri at a generally available 33-1:

Jessica Harrington is a remarkable woman, stronger than ever as a dual-code trainer in her 70s, and the Moone trainer has a lively candidate for her own first Classic success in the shape of Alpha Centauri at the Curragh.

Clemmie, a confident suggestion for the English Guineas but who missed the race, has had a campaign so interrupted as to render her, surprisingly, one of the supporting cast for Aidan O’Brien.

I am not convinced that Happily deserves to be anywhere near as short as she it; indeed the Newmarket third appears to be a vulnerable favourite.

Perhaps a shock is on the cards. Kevin Prendergast's Alghabrah, who I have tipped before in this column, is not hopeless at the prices.

Alpha Centauri has been forgotten somewhat, despite being one of the best two-year-olds of her generation, and – given her size – it would be an affront to logic were she not to train on and progress with time. Kate Harrington reports she is bombing at home.

After her first victory in a two-year-old maiden, Harrington admitted: “When she came to me she weighed 530kgs, which is heavier than most of the jump horses, so I sent them back three times to weigh her again because I couldn't believe it.”

If she bounces back and stays the trip, I feel she can go very close. Her best form last season was on quick ground, too, and her two losses at the end of the season were on soft and heavy.

Johnny Ward's best weekend bets: