Finsceal Beo landed her classic double in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday, but Dylan Thomas went down to defeat in the Tattersalls Gold Cup after a prolonged battle with Notnowcato.

The winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, Finsceal Beo had suffered a heartbreaking head loss to Darjina in the French equivalent at Longchamp just a week later. Perhaps feeling the effects of so many top class races in such a short period of time, the Mr. Greeley filly had to work harder than ever to hold off the 66-1 Dimenticata by a neck in the Curragh 1000.

Cockney Rebel completed his classic double at the Curragh on Saturday with a gritty score in the $537,000 Irish 2000 Guineas.

The 3-2 favorite, Cockney Rebel sat in third early under Olivier Peslier, closer to the pace than he had when he won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago. He charged to the front at the quarter pole, then held off the determined bid of the 7-1 Creachadoir, who had been runner-up in the French 2000 Guineas.

Cockney Rebel prevailed by a length with 40-1 longshot He's a Decoy third, another length behind.

Fusaichi Ho O will have his stamina tested in the $2.8 million Tokyo Yushun, or Japanese Derby, on Sunday when a full field of 18 will line up at Tokyo Racecourse for the world's richest race for 3-year-olds.

Two of Europe's leading lights headline the program at the Curragh on Sunday, when Finsceal Beo attempts to land a classic mile double in the $537,000 Irish 1000 Guineas, while Dylan Thomas goes in search of his fourth Group 1 triumph in the $402,000 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

With the Epsom Derby's five-day entry stage not arriving until Monday, there are still 22 horses poised to run in next Saturday's 1 1/2-mile classic. It should not surprise anyone that Aidan O'Brien is the trainer of nine of those 22, while Saeed bin Suroor has three, giving the Magnier-Tabor-Smith consortium and Godolphin more than half of the Derby's possible runners.

The rags-to-riches Cockney Rebel will go after his second classic mile of the spring at the Curragh on Saturday in the $538,000 Irish 2000 Guineas.

The 1 1/2-length winner of the the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5, Cockney Rebel was picked up by owner Phil Cunningham for just $58,000 as a yearling. A son of a Breeders' Cup Mile winner, Val Royal, he could go off as low as the even-money favorite in the Irish 2000, in which again be challeneged by the Newmarket runner-up, Vital Equine.

Robe Decollete became the first American-bred horse to win a Japanese classic at Tokyo on Sunday as she held off the favored Bella Rheia by a nose to capture the $1.88 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks.

Red Evie outdueled Ramonti and Passager to land a well-deserved victory in a thrilling renewal of the Group 1, $395,000 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday as the Michael Stoute-trained duo of Jeremy and Peeress failed to make the frame.

Pink Cameo came flying home to beat colts in winning the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup two weeks ago, suggesting that she should be able to handle the return to filly company coupled with a step up to 1 1/2 miles required by the $1.88 million Yushun Himba, or Japanese Oaks, at Tokyo on Sunday.

Trained by Sakae Kunieda for Kaneko Makoto, the man who campaigned the great Deep Impact, Pink Cameo is a French Deputy filly out of a Silver Hawk mare. While it is not written in stone that those bloodlines will enable her to stay 12 furlongs, she may have a slight class edge on her 17 opponents.

The Group 1, $337,000 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp on Sunday promises to be a tactical affair, with just five older horses entered in the 1 1/8-mile, 55-yard event, only three of whom have a realistic chance of winning.

Nicolas Clement has entered the hopeless Palafamix to serve as a rabbit for Stormy River, the winner of last June's one-mile Group 1 Prix Jean Prat who disappointed going 1 1/8 miles when he finiehed ninth in his seasonal debut, the Dubai Duty Free. Even with the help of a pacesetter, Palafamix, a Verglas 4-year-old, may find the Ispahan a little too long.