RACING NEWS:AIDAN O'BRIEN has used tomorrow's Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp in the past on route to French 2,000 Guineas success and Ireland's champion trainer will hope to add to that record with Lucifer Sam in the Group Three trial.
Christophe Soumillon teams up with Lucifer Sam in the mile race, where he will be joined in the eight-strong field by his stable companion One Great Cat (David McCabe.) The top French rider will also be on board Achill Island for O'Brien in the Group Three Prix La Force over 10 furlongs half an hour later.
Defeat for Lucifer Sam tomorrow may not be a huge negative to his classic chances next month as all three of O'Brien's French 2,000 Guineas winners have been beaten in their Fontainebleau warm-up.
Landseer was third in 2002 while Aussie Rules was fifth in 2006 and Astronomer Royal ran only sixth in the race last year before returning to the course and distance in style a month later.
Lucifer Sam hasn't been seen since beating only one home in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh last autumn but the Storm Cat colt's best form appears to be a close second in the Acomb Stakes at York in August.
Achill Island tackles the longer race and will be joined in the seven-runner La Force by another stable companion in Sligo. Achill Island failed by only half a length to beat Nownownow in the first Breeders' Cup Turf Juvenile race at Monmouth Park last October.
Cailin Alainn returns to Fairyhouse today after being pulled up in the Irish Grand National three weeks ago. But crucially this time the dual Grade One winning mare takes part in a conditions hurdle.
The Charles Byrnes-trained star has not looked the most fluent of jumpers over fences since a fall at Cheltenham last year but clearly retains plenty of talent. With no fences today she will be a tough opponent in the opener.
Taipan's Way should be better for the experience of his last start in the maiden hurdle while the ex-Dermot Weld-trained Tasman can improve for a run behind Arbor Supreme at Naas and pick up the Beginners Chase.
