AIDAN O’BRIEN will have half the eight-strong field in tomorrow’s Group One Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris as he attempts to storm Longchamp’s Bastille Day highlight, writes Brian O’Connor.
Johnny Murtagh is on board the Epsom Derby also-ran Age Of Aquarius which leaves Colm O’Donoghue to maintain his association with the Dante winner Black Bear Island in the €600,000 highlight (1m 4f).
Also flying the Ballydoyle flag will be Freemantle and Hail Caesar but the Irish team face a major task against the Aga Khan’s highly-rated Behestam.
Christophe Soumillon’s mount finished fourth in the French Derby, a run that prompted the Belgian-born jockey to criticise the reduction in trip of the Classic race from a mile and a half.
Killarney’s July festival starts this evening and champion jockey Ruby Walsh should have a happier experience at the Co Kerry track than in May when he sustained a broken foot that kept him out of action for almost two months.
He teams up with Royal County Star in the conditions chase and Tony Martin’s versatile 10-year-old is rated to get the better of this field despite probably relishing longer than this extended two miles.
The recent rain has come in time for Kilmannin in the apprentice claimer which has attracted a cross-channel runner in Steig.
Kilmannin relishes a cut and what is also encouraging are the recent signs of a return to form by the Harry Rogers team.
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