Racing: Fresh from George Washington's spectacular 2,000 Guineas triumph at Newmarket, Aidan O'Brien will travel in strength to Paris this weekend where Aussie Rules could lead the Ballydoyle challenge in the French equivalent.
O'Brien revealed yesterday he may run up to four colts in the Gainsborough Poule D'Essai Des Poulains, a race he won four years ago with the ill-fated Landseer, and Kieren Fallon is likely to bypass the Derrinstown Derby Trial meeting at Leopardstown in order to ride one of them.
Aussie Rules was ridden by Fallon when disqualified in a trial race at Longchamp last month, the Prix de Fontainebleau, and the grey colt is set to be again joined by Ivan Denisovich as well as the Greenham Stakes runner-up Marcus Andronicus and possibly James Joyce.
"I would say Kieren will go to France because that's where the Group One races are," O'Brien said yesterday while also confirming he could have three runners in the 1,000 Guineas, the Poule D'Essai Des Pouliches.
"Kamarinskaya, Beauty Bright and Queen Cleopatra are possibles for that."
Jockey arrangements for both French classics will be finalised later in the week but with Fallon in Paris, both Séamus Heffernan and Colm O'Donoghue are ready to step into the breach at Leopardstown. The Derrinstown Trial has proved the final stepping stone on the way to Epsom glory for the O'Brien stars Galileo and High Chaparral, and the Ballydoyle trainer has half of the 14 entries remaining in the Group Two contest after yesterday's forfeit stage.
The trio of Dylan Thomas, Mountain and Altius are the most likely starters as O'Brien tries to add to a potential Epsom line-up that already looks to include the 7 to 1 third favourite Horatio Nelson.
Significantly, although he stressed no final decision had yet been made, O'Brien did yesterday admit he would be surprised if George Washington were asked to stretch his stamina to a mile and a half at Epsom.
"He's a very fast horse that at one stage we didn't even believe would get a mile," he said. "We put him in the Derby because a horse of that calibre has to be in it but I would be surprised if he ran in it."
Instead the Irish Guineas and the St James's Palace Stakes are more likely options, and Boylesports, who sponsor the Curragh Guineas, have already installed George Washington as their 1 to 4 favourite for the classic on May 27th. The champion trainer also said he will not be represented in the classic trials at Chester or in the Lingfield Derby Trial on Saturday, which will only increase the focus on the Derrinstown.
Yesterday John Oxx, who won the Derrinstown with Sinndar in 2000 and Alamshar in 2003, left in both Caribbean and the unbeaten King In Waiting, who is as low as 20 to 1 with some firms for the Derby.
Another Epsom outsider looking to book his Derby ticket will be Jim Bolger's Heliostatic, while the sole British entry is Mick Channon's Catterick winner Youmzain.
Channon has already won the Guineas Trial at Leopardstown this season with Yasoodd.
The ground at Leopardstown was yielding yesterday after 15 millimetres of rain on Monday. The forecast for the next four days is, however, largely dry, so the going should improve.
A total of 15 fillies remain in the 1,000 Guineas Trial. They include the French Guineas hope Queen Cleopatra as well as the Oxx-trained Lifetime Romance, who won her sole start at the Curragh last October.
The course winner Mustameet is one of the 15 left in the Listed Amethyst Stakes over a mile on Sunday, where the Derby Trial entry Caribbean is the only three-year-old possible.
Bookmakers yesterday reported significant support for the Epsom Oaks fancy Alexandrova, who reportedly worked well at Ballydoyle in the morning.
It was enough for William Hill to cut Alexandrova from 7 to 1 to 4 to 1 favourite for the Oaks.
A spokesperson said, "Alexandrova is our worst result. Punters were taking whatever price we cut her to. It's still a month to the Oaks but after George Washington, punters are taking positive news from Ballydoyle very seriously."
