Busy weekend for Ballydoyle including runners for both French Guineas

US Navy Flag, Europe's highest-rated juvenile last season, and Could It Be Love, an impressive maiden winner at Dundalk last month, will be on Classic duty for Aidan O'Brien at Longchamp on Sunday.

Successful in the Middle Park and Dewhurst, US Navy Flag finished last of four in the Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs on his reappearance last month but O'Brien has confirmed the colt a runner in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

He reported on Wednesday: "The heavy ground was against US Navy Flag at Leopardstown. He has run over a mile only once and we have decided to give him another chance over the trip at Longchamp."

On his only attempt over a mile US Navy Flag finished in rear in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on dirt at Del Mar in November.

O'Brien added: "Could It Be Love won her maiden nicely and will take her chance in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches."

The trainer has been successful in the Poulains on four occasions, most recently with The Gurkha in 2016, while his only success in the Pouliches was with Rose Gypsy in 2001.

Kew Gardens, a dual winner last year and third in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket last month, will represent Ballydoyle in the Betfred Lingfield Derby Trial on Saturday, when Flattering, a ten-length winner of a 1m2f maiden at Cork five days ago, will tackle the Betfred Mobile Oaks Trial.

O'Brien, who has sent out 11 winners of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, expects to have three runners in Sunday's renewal of the Group 3 contest at Leopardstown.

"We are looking at running Nelson, Delano Roosevelt and The Pentagon in the Derrinstown," he said.

The trio filled the first three places in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes over the same course and distance last month.

O'Brien has made 16 entries, out of a total of 50, for the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket, which he has won three times. US Navy Flag and Could It Be Love are among his entries, as are Gustav Klimt, Clemmie and Merchant Navy.

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