THE FRENCH superstar filly Goldikova may look to dominate this Sunday’s Group One Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, but Dermot Weld is weighing up taking her on in the €600,000 mile highlight with Famous Name.
Runner-up in last year’s French Derby, Famous Name has also had to settle for minor honours behind his stable companion Casual Conquest in this season’s Tattersalls Gold Cup. But he could return to France on a winning roll having landed his last two starts at the Curragh in impressive style.
“There is a distinct possibility he will run but I’m going to wait until the middle of the week before deciding for definite,” Weld said yesterday after returning from Chicago, where Mad About You could beat only one home in the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park.
“There was no pace in the race and she didn’t give herself a chance, but I think a bigger factor was that there was exceptionally high humidity and she came back after the race partly dehydrated,” the Curragh trainer said.
“We will look at the Group One Matron Stakes for her next on Irish Champion Stakes day.”
Mad About You finished well behind Dynaforce as American jockey Kent Desormeaux rider was completing a Grade One double at Arlington having scored in the Secretariat Stakes aboard Take The Point.
Black Bear Island, having his last start for Aidan O’Brien, lost out to Take The Point in a tight finish, and jockey Johnny Murtagh reported: “In the last 100 yards he just died. We were drawn great and he took me into the race. I moved up to control the race but in the last 100 yards the winner just had me.”
The Champion Stakes at Leopardstown remains the target for Casual Conquest, who looks like facing the three-year-old stars Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory in that Group One highlight.
The Grand National-winning jockey Niall “Slippers” Madden faces a spell on the sidelines after fracturing his arm in a fall at Kilbeggan on Saturday evening.
Madden fell from the Meade-trained Carlesimo at the first fence in the handicap chase. The jockey had been a late replacement for Paul Carberry who had been earlier stood down for 48 hours.
Godolphin are targeting the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh for Long Lashes after the filly won the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket last Saturday.
Sheikh Mohammed’s organisation bought the filly after she won a Curragh Listed event on her debut, and spokesman Simon Crisford said: “We were delighted with her run at Newmarket and we will probably head to the Moyglare next. She was still quite green on Saturday and probably found herself in front a bit soon. But hopefully the Moyglare will be a suitable target.”
Long Lashes is as low as 12 to 1 for next year’s Newmarket 1,000 Guineas.
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