Chekhov kicks off busy week

Aidan O'Brien will kick off a busy international week in France today when Ireland's champion trainer runs Anton Chekhov in the Group Two Prix Hocquart at Longchamp.

Johnny Murtagh's mount, fifth to More Wells in the Ballysax Stakes last month, will face just three opponents in the 11-furlong race, including the Aga Khan's supplementary entry Serabad.

"We think he will improve for the extra distance and he should have come on for the run," said O'Brien yesterday.

Murtagh will also be on board the Ballydoyle hope, Chinese Whisper, in tomorrow's Group Three Prix de Guiche over nine furlongs at Chantilly, the same day the Chester festival, in which O'Brien will be heavily represented, kicks off.

On Sunday, the Ballydoyle trainer is also likely to field a strong team in both the French Guineas races back at Longchamp.

This evening's action at Fairyhouse is a National Hunt card where Ruby Walsh's mount Maucaillou can use the experience of a run last March to good use against the jumping newcomer South West One in the opening two-mile La Bucca maiden hurdle.

South West One failed to win in four starts for Pascal Bary in France last year and could find Walsh's mount too strong.

Call Bewleys ran an encouraging third place to Holly Tree at Limerick on his last start and should pick up the two-and-a-half-mile maiden for Conor O'Dwyer, while The Patriarch Game is put forward as the logical option for the concluding bumper.