MAISONS-LAFFITTE

CONTINUING the theme of the season in France, British trainers were again rewarded for making their way to France for valuable prizes during the past eight days.

It started at Maisons-Laffitte last Friday week when a poor field of just three lined up for the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte. The aptly named Fighting Irish was first past the post and he was bred at Pat O’Kelly’s Kilcarn Stud in Co. Meath. One would have expected the six-furlong race to start steadily and end with a sprint but Olivier Peslier decided to set a sensible pace on the Charlie Hills-trained Nebo. He was always shadowed by Fighting Irish who was brought with a perfectly timed challenge by Cristian Demuro. They went on to win by a comfortable head from Nebo, with French Pegasus a well-beaten third.

Harry Dunlop is a regular in France and he commented: “Fighting Irish has improved with every race and we are delighted with this success. Although his last win was in a nursery, he did it very easily so we were encouraged to come for this race. All being well, we would like him to come back to France for one of the two Group 1 races at Saint-Cloud.”

Almost two years ago, Dunlop had his first success at the highest level when Robin Of Navan won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud from Cloth Of Stars. However, the shorter trip in the Criterium International looks the more likely target for Fighting Irish. Nebo is unlikely to run again this season and may start his three-year-old career in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury.