Mullins aims Euro for Paris

Racing News round-up: Willie Mullins has given the green light for Euro Leader to try to secure the top Irish trainer a third success in the French Champion Hurdle in Paris on Saturday.

Last year's Kerry National hero, a winner on the flat at Leopardstown on Wednesday last, will fly the flag for Ireland in the Grande Course de Haies D'Auteuil over three miles and one furlong, possibly alongside another Irish hope, Strangely Brown.

Mullins has a remarkable record in France's top hurdles event, having won it back-to-back with Nobody Told Me (2003) and Rule Supreme (2004), while the latter was also runner-up to Lycaon De Vauzelle last year.

But he is also aware next weekend's Auteuil feature will be the furthest Euro Leader has raced, and Mullins concedes the stamina issue is a concern.

"He probably has more pace than the other two, but there was never a worry about Rule Supreme's stamina and Nobody Told Me had shaped well in her trial. Both of them had also run on the track beforehand.

"Euro Leader won the Kerry National over three miles with topweight, but this will be as far as he has ever gone and, particularly on soft ground, stamina would have to be a worry.

"He has come out of the race at Leopardstown pretty okay, and at the minute he runs. We will probably make a final decision on Wednesday.

"But the track should suit him and he has gone on ground from soft to good to firm. It's just that the trip might not be in his favour, especially in a hot race," Mullins said yesterday.

Among the likely opposition are last year's winner and Princesse D'Anjou, who won the French Gold Cup for Philip Carberry last month. Also, there is Mid Dancer, who landed the major Champion Trial, the Prix la Barka, in impressive style.

Strangely Brown was successful at the track in 2005 in the Prix Alain Due Breil, the French Triumph Hurdle, and Mullins could be triple-handed in Saturday's renewal of the event with Quatre Heures, Mister Hight and Clear Riposte.

"All three could run. Clear Riposte ran a great race at the track last month, but Quatre Heures ran deplorably. On a line through Clear Riposte he could have a chance though of going close if he comes back to his best," the trainer added.

Quatre Heures was a smooth winner of the big four-year-old hurdle at the Punchestown festival in April.

At Belmont Park in New York on Saturday night, Grey Swallow's last run for Dermot Weld ended with a narrow defeat in third in the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap.

The 2004 Irish Derby winner was beaten a head and a neck by the ex-Andre Fabre-trained Cacique and the former Weld runner Relaxed Gesture.

"He broke a step slow and I had to be patient. He ran a brilliant race, came running and did everything I hoped he would," said Grey Swallow's American rider, Alex Solis.

Grey Swallow remains in the US in the care of Richard Dutrow Jnr, and could again face Cacique, a half-brother to the Group One scorers Banks Hill and Intercontinental, in the Arlington Million in Chicago in August.

The most valuable contest at Roscommon this evening is the conditions hurdle, and this looks to be a suitable opportunity for the Willie Mullins-Ruby Walsh team with Baltimore Hill.

A pair of victories at Limerick included a 20-length success on fast ground, and the form of his subsequent win has already been boosted this weekend.

The opening maiden is a small field but intriguing just the same, with Dermot Weld taking on Film Festival again with Tikraar. The latter has 10-lengths to make up on the Oxx runner from running behind River Tiber at Gowran, but that race was on soft ground and it looks significant that Weld is taking him on again on a fast surface.

Elkras Wings is upped four furlongs from a good run at Listowel over a mile for the second division of the handicap, and that should suit the Pat Hughes horse.

Cornfield Road has a 5lb penalty for scoring at Fairyhouse on Friday night, but still looks to have a big shout in the seven-furlong handicap.

Sir Mark Prescott ended his long wait for a Classic winner as Confidential Lady came with a power-packed finish to claim the Prix Diane Hermes (French Oaks) at Chantilly yesterday.

Turning for home Seb Sanders had to start making an effort as the Aidan O'Brien-trained Queen Cleopatra and Germance began to assert.

Confidential Lady momentarily looked in a spot of trouble around two furlongs out, but Sanders switched to the outside and she found an extra gear to ease away from the field and score by a length and a half.

Kieren Fallon seemed set to snatch second aboard Queen Cleopatra but Germance just pipped her for the runner-up spot.