'She's likely to be my main and only play of the day' - Johnny and DJ assess the 1,000 Guineas

How did the Punchestown festival go for you both?

Johnny Dineen: It's never been a happy hunting ground for me and I could count on one hand the number of times I’ve shown a profit there in the last 35 years. This year went the same way as most of the others. I had quite a damaging day on Wednesday and I knew from that point I was never going to recover. My confidence was low for both Thursday and Friday so I kept the wagering to smaller stakes and pretty infrequent too. It’s basically an afterthought meeting as quite simply no horse has Punchestown as its seasonal target and you really are in the lap of the gods as to how almost any horse will perform. 

DJ: Punchestown has never been a pal of mine over the years either, Johnny, but we've been best buds this week. Marine Nationale made sure I came out even on Tuesday. I was on Thanksforthehelp at 14-1 on Wednesday, while Thursday was terrific with Busselton (7-1), Jeriko Du Reponet (7-1) and Teahupoo (7-4) all getting the job done. This is one of those rare years when I wish it would last for 15 days rather than five! 

Who wins the Betfred 1,000 Guineas?

Johnny: Unlike the 2,000 Guineas, I have a very strong opinion about the 1,000 Guineas. It's got to be Desert Flower. I just loved everything she did at two and it looks like her biggest danger Lake Victoria has had a rushed preparation so I think the Godolphin filly will keep her unbeaten record intact. The daughter of Night Of Thunder has no ground or stamina worries as well as winning course form to go with it, but it’s her attitude when the chips are really down which is her most attractive feature and it’s one that can help propel her to victory.