Mother Earth Returns to France for Rothschild Bid
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Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
Mother Earth wins the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse
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 Aug. 3 Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville with QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) 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 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) and Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (G1) with St Mark's Basilica , the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) with Joan of Arc , and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) 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 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1).
She has maintained that form with respectable efforts in the Coronation Stakes (G1), finishing third, and the Tattersalls Falmouth (G1), in which she was second.
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 Tattersalls Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1).
Belle Image is another Irish raider heading for the Prix Rothschild
The Prix Rothschild will see Coeursamba return to the one-mile distance at which she previously defeated Mother Earth. In one start since, she was 11th in the Prix de Diane when racing a mile and 2 1/2 furlongs.
Her rider Cristian Demuro said: "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."