Kalanisi returns in Ireland

Kalanisi, the Eclipse Award-winning turf champion owned by the Aga Khan, makes his first start since winning the Breeders' Cup Turf in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.

Michael Stoute is sending Kalanisi, a 5-year-old British-based son of Doyoun, to Ireland for the first race in his 20001 campaign. Stoute has high hopes for Kalanisis, who in 2000, in addition to his Churchill Downs heroics, won the Champion Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes, and was a heartbreaking second to Giant's Causeway in both the Eclipse and the Juddmonte International.

In the 1 5/16-mile Tattersalls Gold Cup, Kalanisi will be reunited with Stoute's stable jockey Kieren Fallon, now fully recovered from a broken wrist, for the first time since the Queen Anne in June. Kalanisi has been installed as the 9-10 choice by local bookmakers, but he faces a stern challenge from Fantastic Light.

Fantastic Light, Godolphin's defending Emirates World Series champ, was embarrassed at Nad Al Sheba on March 24 when he was caught on the line by the Japanese-trained Stay Gold in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Fantastic Light's rider, Frankie Dettori, will have to be more alert this time as Kalanisi seems to have developed a killer instinct since being outgamed twice by Giant's Causeway.

Golden Snake, who made his reputation winning Group 1 races in Italy and Germany, added luster to his international exploits when winning the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp four weeks ago, but he prefers soft ground and has never beaten the likes of Kalanisi or Fantastic Light. Muakaad and Bach, first and second in a listed race on May 7, have little chance.

* Undefeated Softly Tread, winner over older colts in the Group 3 Gladness Stakes last month, has her work cut out for her in the one-mile Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas on the same card.

But she is the value at 10-1 against Cool Clarity, who beat subsequent French 1000 Guineas winner Rose Gypsy in a listed race on May 7, and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Toroca, who finished a length ahead of Crystal Music when third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

With Godolphin unrepresented in the Irish 1000, Frankie Dettori picks up the ride on the John Gosden-trained Crystal Music, the 4-1 favorite for owner Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

* Sunday's 1 1/2-mile, $900,000 Group 1 Derby Italiano has drawn a field of 19 at the Capannelle in Rome. German invader Limerick Boy, the seven-length winner of a Group 3 last time, is a lukewarm choice over Italian 2000 Guineas winner Giovane Imperatore, Irish invader Vinnie Roe, and fellow German Iberus.