RACING: DAVID WACHMAN hopes to hit the Classic mark at Longchamp on Sunday when Fire Lily lines up for the French 1,000 Guineas. The Poule D'Essai Des Pouliches has been Fire Lily's target since her first start of the season at Leopardstown last month when a neck runner-up to a certain Homecoming Queen.
That form was advertised in style at Newmarket on Sunday and Fire Lily already boasts Group One form at Longchamp having finished runner-up in last season’s Prix Marcel Boussac.
A total of 19 fillies currently remain in the €450,000 Classic, including five Aidan O’Brien horses that include Homecoming Queen. The big local hope looks like being Beauty Parlour.
“France has been the plan all along. I’m very happy with her. She got a bit tired the first day and I would expect her to improve a lot from that,” Wachman said yesterday.
There could also be Irish interest in Sunday’s Poule D’Essai Des Poulains, the French 2,000 Guineas, with three Ballydoyle colts still in the race. They include the Loughbrown Stakes winner Requisition and Nephrite who finished behind him that day.
The big French hopes are likely to be Dabirsim and the ex-Jessica Harrington-trained Dragon Pulse who beat his rival last month.
