Racing: Silca's Sister flies through Guineas test

We should have known better. In the immediate aftermath of Flashy Wings' victory in the Lowther Stakes at York last week, Channon was happy to mention another two-year-old, Silca's Sister, in the same breath. It was easy to imagine he was simply intoxicated by a champagne moment which had confirmed Flashy Wings as the favourite for the 1,000 Guineas next spring.

Yet Channon never really does hubris. The swift reminder came yesterday in the Prix Morny at Deauville, a Group One contest Silca's Sister ultimately collected with surprising ease. How she ever got beaten on her debut at Newmarket's July course remains one of the enduring modern mysteries.

Silca's Sister took on and vanquished two of the more racy names in French and Irish racing. The unbeaten New Girlfriend, the winner of the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte last month, surrendered her record most tamely. A stauncher effort came from Aidan O'Brien's Ivan Denisovich, whose stable is currently paramount. Ballydoyle currently houses the first and second favourite for the 2006 2,000 Guineas in George Washington and Horatio Nelson, the winner of the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The latter is also the Derby market leader. There was a moment yesterday when Ivan Denisovich looked as if he might reinforce the hegemony when driven to the lead by Kieren Fallon with two furlongs to run. Up to that point much of the running had been cut out by the Richmond Stakes winner from Glorious Goodwood, Always Hopefuel. Eoghan O'Neill's colt would stick on well for third place.

However, the most telling manoeuvre was exercised by Ted Durcan on Silca's Sister. She surged clear to win by two lengths at an industry price of 9-1. The paper reward was elevation to 11-1 second favourite for the 1,000 Guineas. "We always thought she was a good filly, and this proves that she's very good," Channon said. "I wasn't that nervous before the race. I let my horses do the talking. I've got some very decent fillies this season, with the likes of Flashy Wings. It was a big test for Silca's Sister today. We were a bit concerned about the soft ground, but she coped with it fine."

Silca's Sister, who was Channon's first Morny winner, was completing some unfinished family business in the race. Her sister, Golden Silca, finished third to Orpen in 1998.

Cassydora made a bold bid to land the Prix de la Nonette on the same card, but was thwarted as domestic challenger Viane Rose landed the spoils. Kerrin McEvoy set the pace for the first half of the 10-furlong Group Three aboard John Dunlop's filly.

Barry Hills' Alumni led briefly in the straight but was soon challenged on the inside by Viane Rose, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal. She swept to victory by half a length, holding the late challenge of Spectrofolle, while Cassydora found a second wind to finish a head back in third.

Mendizabal might not be a familiar name to British racegoers, a situation which will recur at Wolverhampton this afternoon, when Seb Sanders will be about the only recognisable name in a sea of apprentices. Racing goes ahead at Dunstall Park despite a boycott by leading jockeys over the replacement of RaceTech stalls handlers by those employed by the course's owners, Arena Leisure.

l Mick Kinane broke his right wrist in a fall at the Curragh on Saturday. Redstone Dancer, Kinane's mount, was brought down when Indian Rite slipped and fell, breaking her leg in the fillies' maiden race.