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Aidan O'Brien: Mother Earth will be our only runner in the French 1,000 Guineas

Aidan O'Brien: won the 1,000 Guineas with Mother Earth
Aidan O'Brien: 'Mother Earth won nicely at Newmarket and we were delighted with her'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Mother Earth will bid to become the first filly since Special Duty in 2010 to do the English-French 1,000 Guineas double after Aidan O'Brien revealed she is set to take her chance in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp on Sunday with Christophe Soumillon booked to ride.

Special Duty, incredibly, was awarded her two Guineas in the stewards' room after she passed the post second on both occasions but was promoted when Jacqueline Quest and Liliside were disqualified.

O'Brien, whose only French 1,000 Guineas success came with Rose Gypsy in 2001, issued an upbeat bulletin on Mother Earth's wellbeing following her one-length victory at Newmarket under Frankie Dettori.

Frankie Dettori celebrates after guiding Mother Earth to success in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas
Frankie Dettori celebrates after guiding Mother Earth to success in the 1,000 GuineasCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The trainer said on Tuesday afternoon: "At the moment Mother Earth is heading to France and Christophe Soumillon will ride her. She won nicely at Newmarket and we were delighted with her there.

"We haven't done a whole lot with her since Newmarket, but she seems to have come out of the race very well. She was always a very good filly and had some lovely runs at two. She wintered well and seems to be progressing all the time. She will be our only runner in the race."

O'Brien is seeking a fifth success in the French 2,000 Guineas (Poule d'Essai des Poulains) following the victories of Landseer (2002), Aussie Rules (2006), Astronomer Royal (2007) and The Gurkha (2016) and Pierre Charles-Boudot has been booked to ride St Mark's Basilica, who sidestepped Newmarket to wait for Longchamp.

O'Brien said: "St Mark's Basilica runs in the French 2,000 Guineas and Pierre-Charles will ride. He seems to be in very good form and we've been very happy with everything he has done of late."


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David JenningsDeputy Ireland editor

Published on 11 May 2021inNews

Last updated 17:49, 11 May 2021

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