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Famous Name to skip French Guineas Khalid Abdullah's FAMOUS NAME (Dansili [GB]) will likely bypass Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) at Longchamp in favor of the May 24 Irish equivalent at The Curragh, according to Juddmonte's Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe. Trained by Dermot Weld, the homebred landed the G3 Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial (Ire-G3) last out April 6. "He's more likely to go straight for the Irish Guineas," Grimthorpe told PA Sport. "No decision has been taken, but he's more likely to go for the Irish 2000 than go to France." His presence at the five-day stage swells the potential field to 23, with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau (Fr-G3) winner TAMAYUZ (Nayef), Godolphin's Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Fr-G1) hero RRIO DE LA PLATA (Rahy) and Sean Mulryan's Criterium International (Fr-G1) scorer THEWAYYOUARE (Kingmambo) likely to face the starter. In the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1), His Highness The Aga Khan's Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) and Prix de la Grotte (Fr-G3) heroine ZARKAVA (Zamindar) headed yesterday's 24 remaining entries. Among her likely opponents is Khalid Abdullah's CONFERENCE CALL (Anabaa), who has been runner-up to that rival in both the Marcel Boussac and Prix de la Grotte. Meanwhile, Susan Magnier's Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) winner HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (Kingmambo) may take in the June 7 Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), according to trainer Aidan O'Brien. While the Ballydoyle trainer appeared to rule out a crack at the mile-and-a-half Classic immediately after his nose defeat of New Approach (Galileo [Ire]) in Saturday's contest, he is keen to keep the colt's options open. "I may have been a bit too cut and dried about Henrythenavigator being a miler," O'Brien told the Racing Post. "The Derby is in our thoughts now. Everything will be taken into consideration, but as far as Coolmore is concerned, the Derby is the biggest race and it is definitely not ruled out." In another European classic development, CHINESE WHITE (Dalakhani) is set to remain in Ireland and tackle the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1), according to her connections. Lady O'Reilly's grey filly recorded a 4 1/2-length success in Gowran Park's Victor McCalmont Memorial S. on Sunday, after which trainer Dermot Weld refused to rule out a tilt at the June 6 Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1). However, the Rosewell House conditioner yesterday pointed to the Curragh equivalent as the preferred target. "Chinese White is in good form, but it is highly unlikely that she will run in the Oaks," Weld told PA Sport. "A definite decision won't be made until this weekend, but I think that the contours at Epsom might not suit the filly, and it is far more likely that she will wait for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 13."
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