Hawk may take flight in Irish Guineas

RACING/ News and Preview: Aidan O'Brien has indicated that the Derby favourite, Hawk Wing, could take his chance in the Entenmann's Irish 2,000 Guineas.

The first Irish Classic of the season takes place two weeks before Epsom and the trainer yesterday refused to rule either Hawk Wing or Rock Of Gibraltar out of the Curragh race.

"Hawk Wing has always had an awful lot of speed and he was getting home well at Newmarket. Both he and Rock Of Gibraltar could run in the Irish Guineas," O'Brien said yesterday.

Before that, however, is the first Classic session of the French season at Longchamp next Sunday where Michael Kinane will be on duty in both Guineas races and the Prix Lupin.

Ballingarry won the Prix Grefulhe on his last French start and the Derby hopeful will go in the Lupin while Sophisticat is the filly for the French 1,000 Guineas.

"She is just a little tricky but she has unbelievable ability," said O'Brien.

"The strong possibles for the 2,000 Guineas in France are Della Francesca, Landseer and Sahara Desert," added O'Brien who won the French 1,000 last year with Rose Gypsy.

The Derby second favourite, High Chaparral, will continue on the Galileo-Sinndar route to Epsom in Sunday's Derrinstown Derby Trial.

With Kinane on duty in France, Seamus Heffernan is likely to ride High Chaparral in the Group Three trial.

"He won the race on Galileo last year; he rides High Chaparral at home and he has won on him before," O'Brien said.

The action this evening is at Ballinrobe where the Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team could be the ones to follow on the flat.

Peach Sorbet goes in the nine-furlong maiden after her sixth to Zafaraniya last time and should go close while Bushido is a pound better with Milton Star for their previous run behind Leinster Mills. Boardwalk Knight can win for the Dessie Hughes stable in division two of the maiden hurdle.