CLASSIC PARK TO TAKE ON HELISSIO AT LONGCHAMP

CLASSIC PARK WILL FLY THE IRISH FLAG IN FRANCE ON SUNDAY WHEN TAKING ON THE ARC WINNER HELISSIO IN A GROUP ONE EVENT

CLASSIC PARK WILL FLY THE IRISH FLAG IN FRANCE ON SUNDAY WHEN TAKING ON THE ARC WINNER HELISSIO IN A GROUP ONE EVENT.AIDAN O'BRIEN CONFIRMED HIS IRISH 1,000 GUINEAS WINNER A RUNNER IN THE ONE MILE PRIX DU MOULIN AT LONGCHAMP, WHERE SHE WILL FACE THE JACQUES LE MAROIS WINNER, SPINNING WORLD, AS WELL AS HELISSIO."SHE'S BEEN IN GOOD FORM SINCE HER LAST RUN AT GOODWOOD and JOHN REID WILL RIDE. IT LOOKS LIKE BEING A VERY SMART RACE," O'BRIEN SAID YESTERDAY.BRITISH INTEREST IN THE RACE WILL CENTRE ON THE CORONATION STAKES WINNER, REBECCA SHARP, RICHARD HANNON'S DEADLY DUDLEY AND BIJOU D'INDE, WHO WILL BE HAVING HIS FIRST RACE SINCE FALLING IN THE DUBAI WORLD CUP.THE BALLYDOYLE TRAINER HAS A TEAM OF EIGHT ENTRIES TO PICK FROM FOR SUNDAY'S MOYGLARE STUD STAKES AT THE CURRAGH. NINETEEN FILLIES IN ALL ARE LEFT IN THE RACE, INCLUDING BAHR AND CRAZEE MENTAL FROM BRITAIN AND THE CON COLLINS-TRAINED LADY ALEXANDER, SUPPLEMENTED, AS EXPECTED, AT A COST OF £18,500.COLLINS SAID OF HIS MOLECOMB STAKES WINNER: "LADY ALEXANDER IS IN VERY GOOD FORM AND PAT SHANAHAN WILL RIDE. I'M QUITE SURE SHE'LL STAY SEVEN FURLONGS BUT I'M A BIT WORRIED ABOUT THE SOFT GROUND."THE CURRAGH TRAINER WILL ALSO RUN THE GOWRAN WINNER, HEED MY WARNING, THE FIRST HORSE HE HAS TRAINED FOR FILM ACTOR JOHN HURT, IN THE RACE AND ADDED: "SHE'S VERY WELL BUT SHE'S GOING FROM A MAIDEN TO GROUP ONE CLASS WHICH IS A VERY BIG STEP. WILLIE SUPPLE WILL RIDE."DERMOT WELD LEFT IN THREE FILLIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO WIN THE RACE THAT OWNER WALTER HAEFNER SPONSORS BUT SAID: "I WILL EITHER HAVE ONE OR TWO RUNNERS, EITHER SCREEN IDOL OR CULTURAL ROLE, OR JUST ONE OF THEM. WE WILL WAIT ON THE GROUND BEFORE DECIDING," WELD SAID.THE CURRAGH MANAGER BRIAN KAVANAGH CURRENTLY DESCRIBES THE CURRAGH GROUND AS "YEILDING TO SOFT" AND THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS IS MIXED, WITH CLEAR SPELLS EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND. "I EXPECT THERE WILL BE A CUT IN IT ON SUNDAY," KAVANAGH ADDED.THERE ARE 17 STILL IN THE TRUSTED PARTNER MATRON STAKES, WITH ONE FILLY SUPPLEMENTED AT A COST OF £3,000. CLERIO IS TRAINED By HENRI PANTELL IN THE FRENCH PROVINCES AND THIS DUAL LISTED WINNER WILL BE PANTELL'S FIRST RUNNER IN IRELAND.IN OTHER NEW, AIDAN O'BRIEN REPORTED YESTERDAY THAT KING OF KINGS WILL RUN NEXT IN THE NATIONAL STAKES AT THE CURRAGH ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST. "HE IS VERY WELL AND THE NATIONAL LOOKS LIKELY," O'BRIEN SAID. THAT PUTS KING OF KINGS ON TRACK FOR A CLASH WITH THE PAUL COLE-TRAINED 2,000 GUINEAS THIRD FAVOURITE, CENTRAL PARK.DR JOHNSON WAS CONFIRMED A NON-RUNNER IN SATURDAY WEEK'S DONCASTER ST LEGER AFTER MEETING WITH A SLIGHT TRAINING SETBACK."HE SUFFERED A KNOCK YESTERDAY AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT SERIOUS IT WILL DEFINITELY KEEP HIM OUT OF DONCASTER," TRAINER CHARLES O'BRIEN SAID.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column