RACING NEWSAIDAN O'BRIEN is set to be well represented at Longchamp on Sunday when the champion Irish trainer attempts to add to an already splendid record in the first French classics of the season.
The progressive Georgebernardshaw is on course to lead a three-pronged Ballydoyle attack on the Poule D'Essai des Poulains, the French 2,000 Guineas, while both Pslam and Halfway To Heaven are intended starters in the 1,000 Guineas, the Poule D'Essai des Pouliches.
Zarkava looks to dominate the fillies race on the back of an impressive seasonal reappearance at the Paris track but O'Brien knows what it takes to win the race having scored with Rose Gypsy seven years ago. His record in the 2,000 Guineas, however, is even better having landed the two renewals with Aussie Rules (2006) and Astronomer Royal last year. Landseer also won the race for O'Brien in 2003.
There is other possible Irish interest in the 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp as Billyford, trained by Liam Roche on the Curragh, is one of the 20 entries left in the race. The €7,000 yearling purchase has a very different profile to the Ballydoyle blue-bloods but he has won four of his nine starts to date and was Group Three placed behind Jupiter Pluvius at Leopardstown last year.
Sunday's Athasi Stakes winner Pima Luce is still among 17 entries in the 1,000 Guineas although her trainer, Jim Bolger, insists the going will have to be soft at Longchamp for her to travel. "It looks a very tough race so we would need everything in our favour," he said.
O'Brien will also be heavily represented in Sunday's Group Two Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown with Washington Irving heading a list of four Ballydoyle entries. The champion trainer has won six of the last 10 editions of the usually significant Trial, including with such star names as Galileo and High Chaparral, both of whom won the Ballysax over the course and distance on their previous start.
This time, though, the Ballysax winner coming to the Derrinstown is Moiqen from Kevin Prendergast's yard and the veteran Curragh trainer is confident of a show on Sunday that will belie Moiqen's current 40 to 1 odds for Epsom.
"I'd say he will be far shorter after Sunday!" said Prendergast yesterday. "He improved for stepping up in trip the last day as his pedigree suggested he would. The horse that was second (Hebridean) has won by three and a half lengths since so he couldn't do any more than that."
He added: "My horse is only a May foal so he should still be open to improvement."
Declan McDonogh will again take the ride on Sunday where Moiqen's possible opposition could also include another course and distance winner, Dermot Weld's Winchester.
Last year's French Guineas hero Astronomer Royal is an entry in Sunday's Group Three Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown alongside his new stable companion Haradasun, a former double Group One winner in Australia. Haradasun was transferred to Ballydoyle soon after his last start in November but O'Brien indicated the five-year-old, placed in October's Cox Plate, Australia's premier middle distance event, is unlikely to appear this weekend.
"He took a bit of time to settle in when he first arrived here so I don't think he will be ready for Sunday," he said. "It could be that he goes straight to Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile."
The Ethiopian was hardly bred to be taking part in a mid-week maiden hurdle at Clonmel but Noel Meade's regally-related runner can get this evening's meeting off to a good start for punters. A half-brother to the double Derby and double Breeders' Cup winner High Chaparral, The Ethiopian looked a shrewd purchase out of Aidan O'Brien's yard last year and his first start over hurdles yielded a Grade One third last Christmas. He was disappointing in two subsequent starts but Meade's runners were badly out of form at the time and three months on a different proposition should be on show today.
The benefit of a recent run at Leopardstown should serve Kharsya well in the 1m 2f maiden while My Valley's good run at Punchestown is a pointer to the 2m handicap.
