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Can Mother Earth continue Aidan O'Brien's fine French form in the Rothschild?

Mother Earth: impressive in the 1,000 Guineas and has run well since without winning
Mother Earth: impressive in the 1,000 Guineas and has run well since without winningCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Prix Rothschild (Group 1) | 1m | 3yo+ fillies and mares | Sky

Aidan O'Brien failed to hit the target at Glorious Goodwood last week, but his French raids this term have been more fruitful and he could hold the key to the Prix Rothschild with 1,000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth.

O'Brien and jockey Ryan Moore enjoyed their sole success in this with Roly Poly in 2017 and the master trainer can hardly complain about his haul in France this season, winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club with St Mark's Basilica, the Prix de Diane with Joan Of Arc and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud with Broome.

Mother Earth has not won since her Newmarket triumph but did perform well on her subsequent trip to Paris when second to Coeursamba – who also runs in the Rothschild – in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.

She has maintained that form with respectable efforts in the Coronation Stakes (third) and Falmouth (second).

Aidan O'Brien: bids to begin Guineas weekend with a bang at the Curragh on Friday evening
Aidan O'Brien: won the Rothschild in 2017 with Roly PolyCredit: Alan Crowhurst

O'Brien said: "She has very good form and, while she hasn't done a whole lot since she was second in the Falmouth, we have been very happy with her since.

"She seems to be very well in herself. Ideally, we'd like if the rain stayed away but what can you do?"

O'Brien is not the only Irish trainer represented as Sheila Lavery fields Belle Image and Jessica Harrington is represented by No Speak Alexander, last seen finishing a fine third in May's Irish 1,000 Guineas.


What they say

Mikel Delzangles, trainer of Sagamiyra
She's been training very well since her last run. It's a tough race, but she's very well and hopefully we'll get more rain because she loves soft ground. She should run a nice race and is definitely improving compared to last year. She deserves to take her chance and should be fighting for the first three.

Andreas Wohler, trainer of Axana
She's great and we've given her a break since she won at Lingfield in May because this has been her main target. She's well and it's a tough race, but she deserves a chance and can hopefully be placed. It was soft when she won at Lingfield, but she's better on good ground, so hopefully it's just on the soft side of good.

Francis-Henri Graffard, trainer of Padovana
She's a very nice filly in very soft ground. If it's only soft, I don't think she has the class against this field, but on heavy ground she could do something nice.

Ed Walker, trainer of Primo Bacio
The Falmouth is working out exceptionally well with two Group 1 winners already coming out of it, so it couldn't really be better form. We've got to turn the tables with Mother Earth but each time Primo Bacio's had an uninterrupted passage into a race she's bolted up and her preparations have gone smoothly into this. With luck in-running, she should run a big race and I'm not worried about the slight cut in the ground.

Cristian Demuro, rider of Coeursamba
Coeursamba is in good form, as good as when she won the Poule d'Essai. We're dropping back to a mile which I think will suit her. Last time over further they didn't go much pace and she pulled too hard. Hopefully they will go faster over a mile and I don't expect the straight course to be a problem.


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James BurnLambourn correspondent

Published on 2 August 2021inInternational

Last updated 09:43, 3 August 2021

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