Fallon returns to not-so-happy hunting ground

Sunday preview : Kieren Fallon's comeback continues in France tomorrow when he rides in a Group Three race on the French Oaks…

Sunday preview: Kieren Fallon's comeback continues in France tomorrow when he rides in a Group Three race on the French Oaks card at Chantilly.

The Paris track is where Fallon tested positive for cocaine last July which resulted in the six-month worldwide ban from which he only returned at Tipperary on Thursday night.

Fallon teams up the local trainer Jean Marie Beguigne for the ride on Spirito Del Vento in the Prix Du Chemin de Fer du Nord over a mile.

Last weekend Beguigne won the French Derby with the Frankie Dettori-ridden Lawman.

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The controversial Irish jockey is without a ride in the featured Prix de Diane where Vadapolina will be a warm fancy to win for the Aga Khan and Christophe Soumillon.

Dettori will be on board the €48,000 supplementary entry West Wind as he goes in search of a third classic victory in eight days while Johnny Murtagh rides the locally-trained Mrs Lindsay in the big race.

The only overseas challenger for the Prix Diane is Mick Channon's Sweet Lily who will be ridden by Darryll Holland.

Murtagh also rides Luisant in the same Group Three that Fallon rides in and has also been booked by Robert Collet for a handicap.

Tomorrow's Irish flat action is at Roscommon where the featured mile-and-a-half handicap can fall to one of the better novice hurdlers from the last jump season in Davorin.

Declan McDonogh's mount had some decent form behind the likes of Glencove Marina and Aitmatov from last winter and the progress he showed in his new career could be translated to the flat off a mark of 88.

In A Rush was an expensive failure on her last visit to Roscommon behind Alexander Goldmine and may be one to avoid in the opening maiden where Difiya looks a viable alternative.

Ruby Walsh teams up with the former smart hurdler Jubilant Note in the novice chase and the faster the conditions the better for this horse who was runner-up at Killarney on his last start.

Davy Russell, the early leader in the jumps jockeys championship, goes to Cork where he can kick things off with Scot Love, fourth to Impudent at Killarney, who can get the better of Maucaillou.

Tawriffic Laois was a good winner at Tramore and he doesn't look badly treated in the handicap chase while Dalucci looks one to examine in the handicap hurdle.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

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