Lahan to attempt elusive Guineas double

Lahan will take a shot at history in nine days time when the English 1,000 Guineas winner lines up for an unprecedented double in the Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

No winner of the Newmarket Classic has ever gone on to complete the Guineas double in Ireland but Lahan's trainer, John Gosden, has reversed an earlier decision to aim the filly at Royal Ascot instead of the Curragh.

"The owner (Sheikh Hamdan) wanted to have a look at the Irish race and it's fair to say she is now a likely runner at the Curragh," Gosden said yesterday.

The closest any horse has come to a Guineas double-up in recent years was Tommy Stack's Las Meninas who won at Newmarket but failed to Mehthaaf at the Curragh in 1994.

Mehthaaf won in Sheikh Hamdan's colours and those same colours have also been carried to Irish 1,000 success by Matiya (1996) and Al Bahathri (1985.)

Aidan O'Brien will keep the unbeaten Chiang Mai for the Irish 1,000 Guineas and bypass a tilt at Sunday's Prix de Saint Alary.

"The ground has gone on the firm side for her at Longchamp. They're talking about watering there. If the ground is okay, the Irish 1,000 Guineas will be her next race," O'Brien said.

The Ballydoyle trainer confirmed that his Classic-winning colt Saffron Walden will miss out on both the Lockinge and the Prix d'Ispahan this weekend and instead may not be seen out until the Group Three Ballycorus Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown.

Before all that, however, there is a weekend of unremarkable bread and butter stuff on offer and it kicks off at opposite ends of the country this evening with mixed cards at both Cork and Downpatrick.

The standard is unquestionably better in the south and the Dermot Weld/Pat Smullen team is the less than surprising suggestion for the combination to follow.

Weld must have been thinking in terms of Group races by now for Media Puzzle but the Theatrical colt lines up for the four-runner EBF race instead.

A couple of winners have come out of Media Puzzle's debut victory at the Curragh but all told, the race hasn't really worked out and Muakaad was the sable selection for last weekend's Derby trial at Leopardstown.

Nevertheless, Media Puzzle has the book beating of Via Rodeo and the Ballydoyle newcomer Glyndebourne, by Sadler's Wells, will have to be reasonable to trouble him.

A more rewarding option, however, can be Creux Noir in the 10-furlong handicap. Creux Noir was edged out by Laurentia at the Curragh, after an easy Fairyhouse success, and didn't get a clear run last time out behind Osprey Ridge at Navan. He's better than that form might suggest.

Up North, the ex-Weld-trained Clever Consul can get off the mark for Tony Martin in the opening maiden hurdle while Clever Consul's rider, Paul Carberry, is taken to double-up himself courtesy of Andrea Cova in the novice chase.

Jockey Fran Berry lost his appeal against a two-day ban at the Truf Club yesterday and was then fined £200 because the stewards considered his appeal "frivolous". Berry appealed a two-day whip ban imposed on him by the Fairyhouse stewards after his ride on Brigade Charge on April 25th.

Jamie Spencer picked up a three-day ban (May 27th, 29th-30th) for using his whip with excessive force on Tactful Remark in the concluding Micklegate Rated Stakes at York yesterday. His mount finished fifth of eight to Amalia.