World turns Pease's luck

France won its first Irish 2,000 Guineas yesterday, but to the relief of English supremacists Britain was able to claim a share of the victory.

Spinning World was the winner for jockey Cash Asmussen and trainer Jonathan Pease, who is a representative of Chantilly, where he operates, or Northumbria, where he was born, depending on allegiance. What is certain is that the tones of the North East have long since left the man who will be 44 on Derby Day. Pease may, however, have used some choice Geordie expression when Spinning World was a desperately unfortunate second in the French Guineas. "I was disappointed with the way the race evolved at Longchamp but at least it showed that one had a good horse and it was worth coming here," he said. "Now we've got a very, very nice consolation prize.

Asmussen attempted an audacious (in hindsight, foolhardy) run up the rail at Longchamp but was not about to trust to luck again yesterday. The American had Spinning World poised on the outside of the leaders for much of the journey before asserting his authority from a furlong out. The 50-1 shot Rainbow Blues was second for the hosts with Beauchamp King third.

Those looking for Derby indicators would have been happy with the display of John Dunlop's colt, who was some way back in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas, though the run of Bijou D'Inde, who was fourth yesterday and almost certainly inconvenienced by the soft going, will have been less warming.

The ante-post punters who will have thought themselves particularly clever chaps yesterday were the backers who have Glory Of Dancer's name scribbled on their vouchers. Not only did the colt work splendidly on Newmarket's Limekilns on Saturday, but his Dante Stakes victory also took a boost when Bahamian Knight captured the Italian Derby at the Capanelle. David Loder's colt was last at York but found himself at the other end of the field yesterday in beating Peter Chapple-Hyam's Backdrop.

The Derby will be the next port-of-call for Willie Carson, who is banned for the next 12 days. The Scot today begins a suspension incurred domestically and follows on with a penalty gathered in Ireland on Saturday. After Carson had won the Irish 1,000 Guineas on Matiya it was discovered that he was wearing an unapproved helmet.

Carson's valet had prepared his bag (what was the rider's reply at the check-in desk when asked if he had packed his own luggage?) but he will not use that as an excuse and does not not intend to appeal.

The new helmet rules were introduced in March to help jockeys but this nuance was probably lost on Carson. He will go into Derby Day a fresh rider, or, as his critics will almost certainly accentuate, a rusty one.

Old Willie, who is 53, has had some calling for his head on a stick recently. They have said he is past it. Carson dropped his hands on Kamari at Lingfield nine days ago, one of those mistakes that make jockeys want to apply their foreheads several times to the wallpaper. On occasions old age and bad judgment do go hand-in-hand (you can see it proceeding slowly in the middle lane of a motorway) but here the two were divorced. It was only just over eight months ago that Carson was considered at the height of his powers. At Ascot the Scot took an orienteering route close to the Berkshire woods on Bahri in search of better ground and emerged from the bracken to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

This season he has won the French Guineas (on Ta Rib) and Ireland's equivalent, so he cannot be completely shot.

Michael Stoute's performances last week suggest Stella Rimmington should be looking over her shoulder. The Newmarket trainer delivered the sort of intricate medical bulletins we expect about ailing Soviet presidents when his Derby colt Dr Massini was injured and the detail was again flowing from Freemason Lodge yesterday. A decison on whether Stoute's Whitewater Affair will be supplemented for the Oaks will not be available until Friday and the final deadline for the race.

THE CURRAGH

4.10: (1m Irish 2,000 Guineas) 1. SPINNING WORLD (C Asmussen) 7-4 fav; 2. Rainbow Blues 50-1; 3. Beauchamp King 9-2. 10 ran. 2, 11/2. (J Pease). Tote: pounds 2.60; pounds 1.30, pounds 6.40, pounds 2.00. Reverse forecast: pounds 36.80. CSF: pounds 64.28.