O'Brien confirms Ciro for France

Aidan O'Brien has confirmed that Ciro will try and break Ballydoyle's classic duck for the season in Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

The Prix Lupin winner will also have a Group One colleague, as Bach will take his chance in the Prix Jean Prat on the same card.

Giant's Causeway and Amethyst provided O'Brien a couple of second placings in the Irish Guineas races over the weekend which, thrown in with Giant's Causeway's placing at Newmarket and Monashee Mountain's defeat in the French Guineas, has meant a frustrating opening to the season for the O'Brien horses.

"All going well the plan is to run Ciro in the French Derby. He has pleased us since his last race and he seems to like France. Bach will run in the nine-furlong race," said O'Brien yesterday.

In the meantime, the unique challenge that is beach racing at Laytown presents itself this afternoon when six races will be run on the strand's 132nd anniversary of racing.

A temporary 400-seat stand will be erected near the finishing line and a big screen is also planned to increase the viewing options for the crowd which always contains more than it's share of casual racegoers.

To facilitate them a special train will leave Dublin's Pearse St station at 1.17 this afternoon, with a return fare of £7.50. Trains are also running from Dundalk and Drogheda.

On the racing front, proven form on the sand is always a big advantage and that should see Iftatah with a big chance in the qualified riders' handicap.

Kevin Prendergast's horse has won at Laytown for the last two years, including winning over a mile last year off a mark of 53. He goes today off a mark of 49 and must have a big chance.

Another with course and distance winning form is the veteran My Trivet who should be sharper now for a run behind Willyever and has the early pace to go very close in the opener; while My Trivet's trainer Jim Gorman has good chances of doubling up with the Dundalk runner-up Celtic Slip in the seven-furlong handicap.

The reserves for the seven-furlong maiden command more than the usual attention and they include Institutrice, who once ran the Group One winner Sunspangled to half a length at Galway. But one of the original 10, Amelesa, is suggested as a possible winner.

Kilbeggan, the popular Midlands track, hosted its first meeting of the year yesterday evening, and the packed stands witnessed a 164 to 1 double by veteran Cork rider Pat Verling.

Katie Fairy initiated the brace in the three mile Leinster/Petroleum Maiden Hurdle, leading before the penultimate flight and stretching clear in the straight to beat Sail Away Sailor by ten lengths. "She was only covered by Anshan last week, and could run again at Tipperary on Thursday," said successful trainer Michael Byrne.

Chelsea King, off the course for nearly two years with leg trouble until reappearing at Killarney earlier this month, was given a strong drive by Verling to beat Killashee Princess by three lengths in the Thorntons Recycling Centre Handicap Chase. However the stewards were not impressed with his riding, and handed out a two day suspension for excessive use of the whip.

Aerleon Pete justified good support in the Belvedere House Gardens Handicap Hurdle. The Christy Roche-trained gelding got a nice run up the inner to lead off the final turn, and was eased by Charlie Swan in the closing stages for an easy six lengths victory over Lodge Hill.

Loughrea permit-holder Sean Mulkern saddled his first winner when Leadnomore led at the last under Ruby Walsh to beat Ballincurry Hare by two and a half lengths in the Kilbeggan Maiden Hurdle.

Persian Punch showed his typical bravery to win the Bonusprint Stakes (registered as the Henry II Stakes) for the third time at Sandown yesterday. But it was victory at a price for jockey Philip Robinson.

Robinson, fresh from winning Sunday's Entenmann's Irish 1000 guineas, picked up a whip ban which will rule him out of a possible mount in the Vodafone Oaks at Epsom on June 9.