Mother Earth Eyes English-French Guineas Double

Mother Earth  will bid to become the first filly since Special Duty  in 2010 to do the English-French One Thousand Guineas double after Aidan O'Brien revealed she is set to take her chance in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) at ParisLongchamp May 16 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 One Thousand Guineas success came with Rose Gypsy in 2001, issued an upbeat bulletin on Mother Earth's well-being following her one-length victory in the May 2 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket under Frankie Dettori.

The trainer said May 11: "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 2. 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 Two Thousand Guineas (Poule d'Essai des Poulains, G1) 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 (FR), who sidestepped Newmarket to wait for Longchamp.

O'Brien said: "St Mark's Basilica runs in the French Two Thousand 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."

The son of Siyouni  won the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) last October after a third-place effort in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (G1).