Ger Lyons reports Red Letter to have had a perfect preparation ahead of next Sunday's Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket but he has warned that the filly won't run if connections feel the ground is too quick for her.

The ground at Newmarket was described on Monday as "good, good to firm in places". The forecast is for a "dry week with long spells of sunshine, daytime temperatures reaching 23C by Thursday. Friday / Saturday and Sunday promise to be a little cooler with more cloud." Watering is set to continue.

Owned and bred by Juddmonte, Red Letter is the 5/1 third favourite for the classic. She only had three runs as a juvenile, finishing second to European champion Lake Victoria on her debut, then winning a maiden impressively, before finishing a close fourth in a bunch finish to the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Speaking to The Irish Field on Monday afternoon, Lyons said: "She's ready. All the work is done and I'm happy with her. I'm ready to rock as long as the ground is right. For me, there has to be juice in the ground. I think the track would ride better, make the undulations less of a hassle, if that makes sense, You know, if you're hitting them on firm ground it can cause all sorts of problems.

"I just think she's a very much a work in progress, but we made a plan very early on that we were going to start her season in the Guineas and it would develop from there. There is a contingency, and we've said all along that she doesn't need firm in the description, that would be a worry.

"She's a big girl. Every time Colin [Keane] rode her he said "she doesn't want it as quick as that", or "she doesn't want firm in it". So, I mean, there's no point in having the champion jockey riding for you and not listening to him."

If the decision is made to skip Newmarket, Red Letter could run at the Curragh next Monday in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes.

"I want to run her right now and I am hoping to run her at Newmarket on Sunday. And if we don't run on Sunday, she'll be rocking up in the Athasi."

Godolphin plans

The 1000 Guineas favourite is Desert Flower, trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin. She is unbeaten in four starts, which included a wide-margin victory in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile over the Guineas course and distance.

Her regular rider William Buick said: “Desert Flower was excellent last year and just kept on improving all season right the way through to the Fillies’ Mile, where she probably posted her most impressive win of the year.

"She has done nothing wrong and obviously having won on the track as a two-year-old is a help. She looks great and I think Charlie and the team have been very happy with her throughout the winter.

“She had a nice spin on the track at the Craven meeting. She wasn’t asked any serious questions but she felt very comfortable doing what she did. To ride her, she is a very straightforward filly and can do whatever really.

“She is super genuine and gives you everything.”

Buick has not yet made up his mind whether to ride Ruling Court or Shadow Of Light in the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.

The jockey said: "Shadow Of Light is a champion two-year-old and Dewhurst winner so it’s an obvious race for him to go for. Ruling Court is a horse we don’t know as much about, but he won the Guineas in Dubai on Super Saturday when he couldn’t have done any more.

“Charlie and I feel they both deserve to be in the 2000 Guineas. It is a hugely important race and going to be hugely competitive. There are horses in there that have run in and won trials but most of them we haven’t seen yet this year and that is always the thing with both of the Guineas races – you just never really know.

“I have ridden both Shadow Of Light and Ruling Court this year and you would have to be pleased with both of them. They are two very straightforward and high-class horses. I don’t know if I will get to sit on either of them before declarations time on Thursday – that will be Charlie’s call.”

"Shadow of Light has done his winning over trips shorter than a mile and there was even a question mark about a seventh furlong in the Dewhurst. But Buick think it is worth a try.

“If you go back to his Dewhurst win, that was on pretty soft ground. Obviously, his class told that day but equally he had to stay with the way the race unfolded and while you never know until you try, you would have to be pretty hopeful a straight mile on good ground should not be a problem for him.”

READ THE BIG INTERVIEW WITH GER LYONS IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND

BETFRED 2000 GUINEAS (GROUP 1). 1M.

3:35pm, Newmarket, Saturday 3rd May

Benevento (IRE) 3 9 2 Amo Racing Limited & Giselle de Aguiar Raphael Freire David Egan

Camille Pissarro (IRE) 3 9 2 Tabor/Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Cosmic Year 3 9 2 Juddmonte Harry Charlton

Expanded (IRE) 3 9 2 Coolmore/Westerberg/Mrs A. M. O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Field of Gold (IRE) 3 9 2 Juddmonte John & Thady Gosden

Green Impact (IRE) 3 9 2 Marcstown Farms SC Mrs J. Harrington Ireland

Henri Matisse (IRE) 3 9 2 Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/Smith/Merriebelle Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Jonquil 3 9 2 Juddmonte Andrew Balding

Ruling Court (USA) 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Scorthy Champ (IRE) 3 9 2 Rectory Road H. Ltd/B Fowler/A.M.O'Brien Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland

Seagulls Eleven (IRE) 3 9 2 Two Plus Three Two Plus Four Hugo Palmer

Serengeti (FR) 3 9 2 D Smith/Mrs Magnier/M Tabor/P Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Shadow of Light 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Tornado Alert (IRE) 3 9 2 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor

Twain (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Wimbledon Hawkeye 3 9 2 The Gredley Family James Owen Harry Davies

Yah Mo Be There 3 9 2 Phil Cunningham Richard Spencer Jamie Spencer

Sponsor bets: 2 Field Of Gold, 5 Twain, 7 Ruling Court, Scorthy Champ, 8 Shadow Of Light, 10 Expanded, 14 Cosmic Year, Green Impact, Jonquil, 16 Henri Matisse, 25 Wimbledon Hawkeye, 40 Camille Pissarro, Seagulls Eleven, 50 Yah Mo Be There, 66 Tornado Alert, 80 Benevento, 100 Serengeti.

BETFRED 1000 GUINEAS (GROUP 1) 1M.

3:35pm, Newmarket, Sunday 4th May

Bedtime Story (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Chantez (IRE) 3 9 2 Newtown Anner Stud Farm G. M. Lyons Ireland

Chantilly Lace (IRE) 3 9 2 Mrs Doreen Tabor Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan

Desert Flower (IRE) 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Duty First 3 9 2 Victorious Racing Archie Watson Hollie Doyle

Elwateen (IRE) 3 9 2 Shadwell Estate Company Ltd Saeed bin Suroor

Exactly (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Flight 3 9 2 Cornthrop Bloodstock Limited Ollie Sangster

Hey Boo 3 9 2 Mr J. Mitchell Jack Channon George Bass

Janey Mackers (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr AJ Walls David Menuisier

Lake Victoria (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Merrily (USA) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland

Red Letter 3 9 2 Juddmonte G. M. Lyons Ireland

Remaat 3 9 2 Prince A. A. Faisal Andrew Balding

Simmering 3 9 2 Al Shaqab Racing Ollie Sangster

Sponsor bets: 10/11 Desert Flower, 7/2 Lake Victoria, 5 Red Letter, 12 Bedtime Story, 14 Duty First, 20 Exactly, 25 Chantilly Lace, 33 Chantez, Flight, 40 Elwateen, Hey Boo, 50 Simmering, Janey Mackers, 66 Merrily, Remaat.