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Aidan O'Brien's The Gurkha added to Poule D'Essai Des Poulains field

Aidan O'Brien has won three previous renewals of the Poule D'Essai Des Poulains
Aidan O'Brien has won three previous renewals of the Poule D'Essai Des Poulains

The Gurkha has been supplemented for the Poule D'Essai Des Poulains at Deauville on Sunday.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien intimated that the French equivalent of the 2000 Guineas would be the plan after the Galileo colt won a maiden at Navan by nine lengths.

A second supplementary entry was the Gianluca Bietolini-trained Dicton, winner of the Group Three Prix Fontainebleau at Chantilly last month.

There are potentially three English raiders in the shape of Simon Crisford's First Selection, Richard Fahey's Birchwood and the John Gosden-trained Crazy Horse.

Fahey reports Birchwood, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on his last start as a two-year-old, to be on target for the Classic, which has temporarily moved home with Longchamp undergoing redevelopment.

"All being well, between now and then, he's going to France," said the North Yorkshire handler.

Heading the home team among a total of 13 horses left in the race is the unbeaten Zarak, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre.

Positive Vibration, trained by Jean Claude-Rouget, was the only supplementary entry for the Poule D'Essai Des Pouliches.  

Rouget also has Qemah and La Cressonniere among a total of 14 remaining in the fillies’ Classic.

O'Brien is represented by Qipco 1000 Guineas third Alice Springs, while English hopes rest with William Haggas' Besharah and John Gosden's Nathra.

Others include Andre Fabre's unbeaten Godolphin filly Come Alive and the Pascal Bary-trained Antonoe, owned by Khalid Abdullah.

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