RACING: The French Guineas races have yielded some mixed dividends for Aidan O'Brien over the years but Kieren Fallon's mount Aussie Rules will lead a strong Ballydoyle challenge in the classic contest at Longchamp tomorrow afternoon.
Aussie Rules is one of four colts that O'Brien is aiming at the Gainsborough Poule D'Essai Des Poulains while Kamaraniskaya and Beauty Bright are down to try and follow in the footsteps of Gypsy Rose, the 2001 winner of the Poule D'Essai Des Pouliches.
O'Brien has also been a 2,000 Guineas winner with Landseer in 2002 but the race threw the champion trainer an unexpected blow two years ago when Antonius Pius's infamous collision with the running rail in the closing stages looked to throw away certain victory.
This time round O'Brien has elected to side with some local experience and the current French champion jockey Christophe Soumillon will be on board the Greenham runner-up Marcus Andronicus while the former champion Olivier Peslier will ride last year's Prix Morny runner up Ivan Denisovich. James Joyce (David McCabe) will complete the Ballydoyle challenge along with Aussie Rules.
"Kieren has always liked Aussie Rules and we were pleased with the race he ran in France last month," said O'Brien, referring to the Group Three Prix de Fontainebleau run on the course last month.
Both Aussie Rules and Ivan Denisovich finished out of the frame in that race behind the Nicholas Clement trained winner Stormy River who runs again tomorrow. However, Landseeer was also beaten in the Fontainebleau before landing the Guineas.
Last month's Prix la Grotte winner, Daltaya, ridden by Soumillon for the Aga Khan, will be a major fancy in the 1,000 Guineas despite the presence of the two Irish fillies who face each other again after Kamarinskaya was a surprise scorer over Beauty Bright at Leopardstown's Guineas Trial.
Before that, however, there will be major Irish interest at Hollywood Park, Los Angeles tonight where the 2004 Curragh Derby winner Grey Swallow has his first start of 2006.
Grey Swallow will run in the $250,000 Grade Two Jim Murray Handicap over a mile and a half on turf and will be ridden by the top American jockey Alex Solis.
Grey Swallow did a seven furlong work out on the course on Thursday and afterwards Dermot Weld's representative, Robbie Dolan, told local reporters: "Whatever beats him will win. He could be a really good horse out here. He is feeling as well as he has ever been."
Irish interest at Lingfield today will centre on the outsider Shersha, trained by Co Kilkenny-based Kevin O'Donnell, who will take her chance in the Group Three Chartwell Fillies Stakes over seven furlongs.
