RACING: Aidan O'Brien has secured the services of the top local jockeys Christophe Soumillon and Olivier Peslier as he tries for a quick 2,000 Guineas double at Longchamp on Sunday.
With the Newmarket Guineas already under his belt courtesy of the spectacular George Washington, O'Brien confirmed yesterday he will have four runners in the Gainsborough Poule D'Essai Des Poulains this weekend and both Soumillon and Peslier are on standby to be part of the Ballydoyle team.
Aussie Rules could be the choice of stable jockey Kieren Fallon but the Greenham runner-up Marcus Andronicus, Ivan Denisovich and James Joyce are also set to travel to Paris.
"I'm not sure yet who will be riding what. I will have to talk to Kieren about Aussie Rules. The other jockeys will be David McCabe, Olivier Peslier and Christophe Soumillon," O'Brien said yesterday. "We will have Beauty Bright and Kamaraniskya in the 1,000 Guineas (Poule D'Essai Des Pouliches.)"
Both Soumillon and Peslier have ridden for O'Brien in big races before and Peslier landed the 1999 Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on board Saffron Walden who was a chance spare ride for the former French champion jockey.
Soumillon, the current French champion, has ridden for Ballydoyle a number of times in the past also, including in the 2003 Epsom Derby when he rode the unplaced Alberto Giacometti. With his retained owner, the Aga Khan, not represented at the weekend, nor trainer Andre Fabre, he is free to team up with an Irish hope.
O'Brien also revealed yesterday his top older horse Scorpion is likely to skip the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and wait instead for the Coronation Cup at Epsom next month.
"We will probably run him in the Coronation. He was in the five days for the Jockey Club at Newmarket but we decided we didn't want to run him just yet," the champion trainer said.
With Fallon on duty in Paris on Sunday, Seamus Heffernan and Colm O'Donoghue will mind the fort at Leopardstown where Ballydoyle will be triple handed in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
The highly-rated Jim Bolger-trained Heliostatic will be a big threat to Altius, Mountain and Dylan Thomas but one rival the Ballydoyle team won't have to cope with is King In Waiting.
The unbeaten John Oxx trained colt, who suffered a setback after winning at the Curragh in March, won't run in the Derby Trial and could instead wait for the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh in two weeks' time.
"He needs more time. Sunday's race comes just too soon. They must have an uninterrupted run in their training programme in order to keep improving and he would have to have run in the Ballysax and the Derrinstown to be even considered for Epsom," Oxx said.
King In Waiting had been as low as 20 to 1 in some lists for the Epsom Derby.
There are meetings at both ends of the country this evening but with 14 races down for decision, the best bet of the lot could come in the opening maiden hurdle at Downpatrick.
Ecole d'Art had some smart form on the flat in France and didn't run too badly on his Irish debut when sixth to Wine Fountain at the Fairyhouse Grand National meeting.
Also in the north, Colm Murphy clearly isn't holding Brave Inca's defeat by Macs Joy last month against Barry Geraghty as the former champion jockey teams up with Go Mall in the handicap hurdle. A repeat of his run behind Southern Command at Thurles could be good enough.
Down at Wexford the current champion flat jockey Pat Smullen is an interesting booking for Kahuna in the 13-furlong maiden. This smart jumper has lost his way somewhat over fences but he should have enough pace to be competitive in a flat race of this type.
Ruby Walsh should be the main one to follow over jumps with both Cuan Na Grai and Levitator while the Punchestown hurdles winner Game Ball Ali can follow up in the 13-furlong handicap.
