Aidan O’Brien’s regally bred filly Toy will try to live up to her Classic pedigree in Paris on Sunday.
Boasting a family tree as stellar as any in the game, Toy lines up in the Emirates Poule D’Essai des Pouliches – the French 1,000 Guineas – at Longchamp with an ‘off’ at 2.15 Irish-time.
The sister of Classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Joan Of Arc is one of 15 lining up in the €500,000 contest.
Favourite for the race is the Newmarket heroine Cachet who will try to emulate Special Duty in 2010 and complete the English-French Guineas double.
In contrast Toy can only boast a wide-margin maiden victory in Cork last month but she does have the benefit of a low draw in stall four around a mile circuit where a high post can be problematic.
O’Brien’s sole Pouliches success came 21 years ago courtesy of Rose Gypsy but The Acropolis will attempt to give him a sixth win in the French 2,000 Guineas on Sunday’s programme.
The draw hasn’t been as kind to the Ballydoyle colt with a post 12 in a 16-strong field due off at 2.55.
Ryan Moore also takes the ride on The Acropolis who was beaten half a length by Dr Zempf at Leopardstown on his first start of the season.
Favourite for the Poule D’Essai des Poulains is Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games.
His jockey William Buick has a busy trans-Atlantic weekend schedule as he teams up with another Breeders' Cup scorer, Yibir, in Belmont's Man O'War Stakes in New York on Saturday night.
Prior to that Saturday’s cross-channel Group One action sees a proven O’Brien classic winner, Mother Earth, contest Newbury’s Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes.
Last season’s English Guineas victor won on her return to action at the Curragh in March but has a formidable obstacle to overcome in Baaeed.
Unbeaten in half a dozen starts last year, expectations around Baaeed are such that he’s a long odds-on favourite to begin his four year old campaign in style.
A busy domestic weekend includes Listed action at Navan on Saturday where Ger Lyons’s Cairde Go Deo takes on a pair of Ballydoyle colts in the Yeats Stakes.
Cairde Go Deo takes a significant step up in trip from her seasonal debut at Navan when third to the Oaks contender Concert Hall.
Naas stages its Royal Ascot Trials Day programme on Sunday with seven races live on RTÉ One.
The Group Three Coolmore Fillies’ Sprint has proven a significant classic indictor in recent years with Mother Earth successful in 2020, Alpha Centauri in 2017 and Sky Lantern a decade ago.
All went on to become Guineas winners and although Matilda Picotte may not reach such heights she could hardly have been more impressive on her Curragh debut last week.
Monasterevin based Kieren Cotter has a valuable prospect on his hands considering the runner-up that day, Comhra, subsequently sluiced up at Roscommon and reopposes again.
Straight Answer has a length to make up on New York City on Navan form in the Group Three Goffs Lacken Stakes but is preferred by Colin Keane to the unbeaten Beauty Inspire.
