MARLBOROUGH trainer Richard Hannon is praying the rain stays away from Newmarket to allow him to run Illuminate in the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Saturday.

Winner of the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on fast ground last July, she was then beaten just half a length by Lumiere in the Cheveley Park Stakes in September.

Illuminate finished her first season at the Breeders' Cup meeting when sixth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on softer-than-anticipated ground.

If she is forced to miss this weekend, Hannon will switch her sights to the Irish equivalent.

"She did a piece of work with Toormore about a week ago and she worked fine," he told At The Races.

"But with the rain around it is not looking ideal. We won't be able to run her and we'll have to wait for Ireland. It's a weather watch, really.

"Frankie (Dettori) might be available to ride her but he might not so it's a bit up in the air. We've got some other avenues but it's all on the weather.

"If I could have anything, I'd rather have the weather - you can get a jockey for a good filly, no problem."