With the Flat season well under way, many of the 135 horses entered in this year’s £1.25 million Vodafone Derby, run at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 8, are in action over the coming weeks.
All eyes will be on Newmarket in two weeks time with the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas, run over the NatWest Rowley Mile on May 3. Ante-post Vodafone Derby favourite New Approach is set to make his seasonal debut in the first Classic of the season, bidding to become the first Guineas winner to go on to Vodafone Derby success since Nashwan was successful in 1989. The Godolphin pair of Ibn Khaldun and Fast Company are also expected to make their seasonal reappearances in the first Classic.
The Group Two Dante Stakes, run over an extended 10 furlongs at York on May 15, has been one of the key recent trials for the Vodafone Derby with North Light (2004), Motivator (2005) and Authorized (2007) having gone on to Epsom glory after victory on the Knavesmire in recent years. McCartney is set to make his Godolphin debut in the race, having won the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster for Mark Johnston last year.
With Epsom currently undergoing a £27.6million redevelopment, the 10-furlong Blue Riband Trial Stakes is this year being staged at Nottingham on Wednesday, April 23. Luca Cumani, who won the Vodafone Derby with Kahyasi in 1988 and High-Rise in 1998, will be hoping that 2008 will be just as lucky with Curtain Call, who could make his seasonal reappearance in the race.
Patrick Cooper, syndicate manager for Curtain Call’s owners, said today: “We don’t know if Curtain Call will go to Nottingham yet for the Blue Riband Trial Stakes as the ground was very bad there last week. If it’s like that, he probably won’t go but Luca will make his mind up closer to the time.
“The plan is to run at Nottingham and then Lingfield before the Vodafone Derby, all being well. If that doesn’t work, for ground reasons, he will just have the one start before Epsom.
“He’s going to Newmarket Racecourse today because Luca wants to see how he reacts in a big crowd. He won’t be going down the track - just around the pre-parade ring.
“He has settled in well at Luca’s and is in good form. I haven’t seen him since February but he looked fantastic then and he has wintered very well.
“He worked last week at Newmarket. I’m told that he did a very nice piece of work with two older horses. Jamie (Spencer) rode him and he seemed very happy with him. At the moment, I think that Jamie will be riding him on the track.”
Other upcoming Derby trials include the Group Three bet365 Classic Trial, run over 10 furlongs at Sandown on April 26, in which Benny The Dip and Silver Patriarch, first and second in the 1997 Vodafone Derby, began their seasons. This year, the race is an intended target for recent second entry Centennial, whose trainer John Gosden saddled Benny The Dip to Epsom glory while Campanologist, successful in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket yesterday, could also head to the Sandown contest although he would need to be supplemented if he were to line up at Epsom Downs.
Chester’s May meeting hosts the Group Three Chester Vase, run over the Derby trip of a mile and a half on May 8. Aidan O’Brien took the race last year with subsequent Vodafone Derby fifth Soldier Of Fortune, and the master of Ballydoyle is considering Vivaldi and Wassily Kandinsky for this year’s race.
The champion trainer has also been successful twice at Chester in the extended 10-furlong Group Three Dee Stakes, and could run Achill Island in this year’s contest, while John Gosden has pencilled in Ridge Dance for the race on May 9.
The Group Two Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown on May 11, has provided three Derby winners in the past seven seasons, including Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) for Aidan O’Brien. This year, he looks set to rely on King Of Rome and Washington Irving.
Early Irish clues for the Vodafone Derby could come in Sunday’s Group Three P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, run over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown and in which subsequent Derby heroes Sinndar, Galileo and High Chaparral have all competed.
This year’s 11 entries for the Ballysax include three horses who are also engaged at Epsom Downs - Alessandra Volta and King Of Rome from the Aidan O’Brien stable plus the Kevin Prendergast-trained Moiqen. There are also three Juddmonte Oaks entries entered in the Leopardstown contest - Hold Me Love Me, Moonstone and Solas Na Greine.
DINO COULD LINE UP IN JUDDMONTE CORONATION CUP
Chantilly-based Richard Gibson is contemplating the Juddmonte Coronation Cup for his globe-trotting Doctor Dino and is hoping to start the horse’s European season at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 6.
The six-year-old ran at the highest level on three continents last season, winning the Grade One Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park in September and the Group One Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December. This year began with a fast-finishing third in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba on March 29.
Gibson is looking forward to giving Doctor Dino another busy campaign this season and wants to run his stable star at Epsom, providing the ground is not soft.
He said: “He likes fast ground and the Juddmonte Coronation Cup would be a distinct possibility for Doctor Dino. It’s the first race we have on the list for his European season, so there is a good chance he will line up there.
“The horse is in great nick and the plan is for him to have his first run since Dubai at Epsom. If the ground is fast, then we will certainly go for the Juddmonte Coronation Cup.”
While Gibson is giving Doctor Dino a break prior to a possible tilt at the Juddmonte Coronation Cup, many of the 45 entries could make an appearance prior to the start of June, including Galactic Star, Gower Song, Soapy Danger and Red Rocks, who are all entered in this weekend’s Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury.
The Group Two Jockey Club Stakes, run on the Sunday of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket on May 4, has also attracted several of those engaged in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup, including Adlerflug, Getaway, Coastal Path, Honolulu, Macarthur, Sixties Icon and Youmzain.
Last year’s winning trainer Aidan O’Brien could also run Honolulu and Macarthur in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at Leopardstown on May 25, and the trainer may also let fellow Juddmonte Coronation Cup entries Duke Of Marmalade and Soldier Of Fortune take their chances in the extended10-furlong contest.
FRENCH FILLIES LEAD WAY FOR JUDDMONTE OAKS
Zarkava, trained at Chantilly by Alain de Royer-Dupre, cemented her position at the head of the market for the Juddmonte Oaks with an impressive victory in the Group Two Prix de La Grotte over a mile at Longchamp on April 13.
Another French-trained filly, Gagnoa, also enhanced her Epsom claims for Friday, June 6, with a good success in the extended 10-furlong Group Three Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud on April 11. The daughter of Sadler’s Wells could bid to give France’s champion trainer Andre Fabre his second Oaks victory following Intrepidity, who triumphed in 1993.
Marjalina got her season under way with a game victory over fellow Juddmonte Oaks entry Savethisdanceforme in the Group Three Park Express Stakes over a mile at the Curragh on March 30, while Sugar Mint will now be aimed at either the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York or the Cheshire Oaks at Chester by trainer Barry Hills following a good victory in a Bath maiden recently.
Several Juddmonte Oaks entries will have their first start of the season in the stanjamesuk.com 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 4, including James Fanshawe’s Group Two May Hill Stakes winner Spacious, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Kitty Matcham, who took the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in October.
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