Dubai: Australia will on Saturday bid to follow in the footsteps of Camelot to become only the 17th horse in history to compete the English-Irish Derby double.

The son of Galileo was an emphatic winner of the Epsom showpiece three weeks ago and looks hard to oppose in the Curragh equivalent for which he is an on-money favourite with most leading British bookmakers.

He faces six rivals including five who finished in arrears to him at Epsom, with runner-up Kingston Hill appearing the most likely threat.

Aidan O’Brien has saddled 10 winners in the Irish showpiece but was hoping the ground at the Curragh will be to the liking of his newest proetege.

“We all know he wants fast ground. There’s a lot of rain forecast for Saturday morning. A lot can change. We want to run him, but he doesn’t want soft ground,” he said in the Sportinglife.

He will be pleased to know that the weather has heeded his wishes with Curragh manager Paul Hensey tweeting on Friday morning: “5mm rain overnight @curraghrace. The ground remains good to firm. There is a risk of showers today but mostly dry thereafter.”

In contrast Kingston Hill’s handler Roger Varian is desperate for a bit of cut in the ground.

“I think the weather tonight and into tomorrow morning is key. They are forecast 8-12mm of rain and, hopefully, they get that and a bit more,” he said.

“I hope the ground is at least good by Saturday. I would be very reluctant to run him on anything described as faster than good.”

Fascinating Rock could only finish eighth at Epsom, but his trainer Dermont Weld blamed the performance on the ground conditions.

“Fascinating Rock has done really well since Epsom, he just didn’t handle the track that day and we expect a better showing from him on Saturday,” said the Curragh-based trainer, who is looking for a third Irish Derby victory and first since Grey Swallon triumphed in 2004

John Oxx has also a pair of Derby trophies in his cabinet and hopes his lightly raced Ponfeigh can make a giant leap in class and win the modern version of the Irish blue riband, which was first run in 1866.

“Ponfeigh has had two quick runs but he is in good order and will take his chance in Saturday’s race,” said Oxx, who triumphed in 2000 with Sinndar and three year later with Alamshar.

The Irish Derby is the centrepiece of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festival, which kicked-off on Friday.