'Clash of generations' is eagerly awaited

Aidan O'Brien has a couple of runners at Galway this afternoon but there is no doubting that the champion trainer's focus will be primarily on Goodwood where his Irish Oaks winner Peeping Fawn lines up for a top-quality Nassau Stakes.

A total of five Group One winners appear among the eight strong field including the top French filly Mandesha who will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon.

Along with last year's 1,000 Guineas winner, Speciosa, she represents the older brigade in a clash of the generations that sees the old rivals Peeping Fawn and Light Shift take each other on for the third time in two months.

Light Shift edged her Irish rival by half a length in the Epsom Oaks but Peeping Fawn emphatically reversed that form at the Curragh when travelling supremely well throughout for John Murtagh. Not surprisingly the jockey is eagerly anticipating a repeat performance.

"It's going to be a great race with the three-year-olds taking on the four-year-olds. It's a clash of the generations and it should be great," Murtagh said yesterday.

"Light Shift beat us at Epsom but Peeping Fawn got her own back at the Curragh and the fact that before that she was able to beat the older fillies in the Pretty Polly must be an advantage."

For his part, Light Shift's rider, Ted Durcan, believes he could have the edge in terms of the drop back to 10 furlongs and the expected fast ground. "She wasn't suited by the going at the Curragh. But this ground should be ideal. She's a speed filly so the trip won't be a worry," said the Mayo-born jockey.

Murtagh will also be on board the O'Brien-trained two-year-old Belgrave Square in the seven-furlong maiden while Ger Lyons provides Irish interest in the Stewards Cup with Richard Quinn's mount That's Hot.

Kieren Fallon will be at Deauville tomorrow where he rides the Dandy Nicholls-trained Moss Vale in the Group One Prix Maurice De Gheest where his main dangers will include the 2,000 Guineas placed Dutch Art from Peter Chapple-Hyam's stable.

Fallon is also due to ride Rising Cross in the Group Two Prix De Pomme and has a ride for the dual-Arc winning trainer John Hammond in another race at the Normandy track. The former champion jockey will be in Ballybrit this afternoon, however, and it is no surprise that he has chosen to partner Wassily Kandinsky, one of two Montjeu colts run by O'Brien in the mile maiden. The Ballydoyle trainer won this even three times in a row (2002-04) with horses of the calibre of the subsequent Derby runner-up The Great Gatsby. There was a lot to like about Wassily Kandinsky's Leopardstown debut when a running on fourth to Marryellen's Sport.

That one's stable companion Unwritten Rule looks the danger but this test looks made for a colt like Fallon's.

The Day Six festival feature is the €55,000 handicap hurdle which sees the star veteran Adamant Approach keep much of the opposition out of the handicap proper although his stable companion Clear Ripose is bang on the minimum 9st 10lb.

Streets Of Gold is 2lb wrong but Christy Roche's regally bred horse, denied a run in Thursday's big hurdle, trotted up in a flat race at Gowran on his last start and the new two and three quarter mile distance could bring out the best in him.