The fall season at Longchamp begins in earnest Sunday when the Parisian track will play host to the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, a $547,000 Group 1 contest that shapes up like the definitive mile race of the European season.

Defense will be the order of the day at Leopardstown on Saturday when Dylan Thomas and Red Evie seek to retain their titles in valuable Group 1 prizes.

The Breeders' Cup could have its first runner from Hong Kong next month, as that country's horse of the year, Viva Pataca, is being strongly considered for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

Trainer John Moore had been planning to send Viva Pataca, a four-time Group 1 winner, to Australia for the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Oct. 27. But because of the the outbreak of equine influenza in Australia, he is likely to reroute Viva Pataca, a gelded 5-year-old British-bred son of Marju, to Monmouth Park for the Breeders' Cup on the same day.

Saoirse Abu, already a Group 1 winner this season against colts, made off with the European season's first Group 1 race for juvenile fillies at the Curragh on Sunday as she took the Moyglare Stud Stakes at a rather astonishing 13-2.

Why Irish bettors should have dismissed her chances at such an inflated price is unclear. After having defeated Henrythe-

navigator by a length in the six-furlong Group 1 Phoenix Stakes on Aug. 12 at the Curragh, she wasn't meeting better fillies in the Moyglare Stud.

Some horses just have a nose for the finish line. On Sunday at Baden-Baden, Quijano proved again that he is one of them as he held off the brave Adlerflug to win the Group 1, $340,000 Grosser Preis von Baden.

Cockney Rebel, winner of this year's 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, has been retired after suffering a tendon injury while cantering at Newmarket on Monday morning. Veterinarians determined that it would take three months to heal, so trainer Geoff Huffer and owner Phil Cunningham decided to retire the Irish-bred son of Val Royal.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien will be hoping that lightning can strike twice in the $410,000 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday, when his juvenile filly Listen attempts to land Group 1 laurels in the seven-furlong dash.

Early Arc de Triomphe clues will abound at Baden-Baden on Sunday, when Mountain High invades Germany to face a strong local group in the Group 1, $340,000 Grosser Preis von Baden.

The Australian racecourse of Randwick is facing at least two months with no racing after eight racehorses at the Sydney-area racetrack tested positive for equine influenza. Randwick is located in New South Wales, the Australian state at the center of a widening influenza outbreak.

Mi Emma gave older colts a sound beating at Baden-Baden in Germany on Tuesday, leading throughout to win the Group 2, $122,000 Oettingen-Rennen at one mile. Her rider, Andreas Boschert, never had an anxious moment as she defeated 10-time group race winner Soldier Hollow by two handy lengths as the 9-10 favorite.

A 3-year-old daughter of Arlington Million winner Silvano, Mi Emma covered the mile in 1:36.20 to win for the fourth time in six career starts.