BY COMMAND IS PRIMED FOR HIS BIGGEST TEST IN THE totesport.com DERBY TRIAL AT LINGFIELD ON SATURDAY
- SUROOR HAPPY WITH CAMPANOLOGIST
- BECKETT PUTS LOOK HERE ON TRIAL
Impressive Windsor maiden winner By Command is one of six colts declared for a tremendous renewal of the £60,000 Group Three totesport.com Derby Trial (3.10pm) at Lingfield Park on Saturday, which is one of the premier trials for the Epsom Derby.
The colt’s trainer, John Dunlop, has enjoyed success with each of his last three runners in the race (2005 Kong, 1999 Lucido, 1997 Silver Patriarch), which is run over an extended mile and three furlongs, but the Arundel team is under no illusions regarding the task facing the Prince Faisal-owned colt on Saturday.
Dunlop’s racing secretary, Marcus Hosgood, revealed this morning: “By Command has had a very smooth training schedule since he won at Windsor but it is obviously a huge jump from winning what was really a second-rate maiden to a Derby trial.
“The horse has certainly pleased the trainer of late. As far as Epsom is concerned, connections will know more about that after Lingfield.
“We honestly don’t know if he has a preference with regard to ground conditions. At Windsor it was softish going and you can forget his run at Salisbury last year as he injured himself, so we really are in the dark.”
The Red Ransom colt, who is out of the owner’s French Oaks heroine Rafha, is a half-brother to Sadian, runner-up to High-Rise in this race in 1998, as well as top-class sprinter Invincible Spirit.
By Command triumphed by six lengths at Windsor on April 14. He raced twice last season, finishing fourth on his debut at Sandown in June, before coming home fifth to Fast Company at Salisbury the following month.
The progressive Campanologist is having his first start for Godolphin after securing two victories from as many starts this year for Mark Johnston. The Kingmambo colt held Kandahar Run by half a length to capture the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on April 16.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor reported: “Campanologist has been working well and has settled in nicely. He is in good form and is ready to go. I think he will have a nice chance in the totesport.com Derby Trial on Saturday.”
Luca Cumani is a man to watch when the year ends in an “eight”. The Newmarket trainer captured the totesport.com Derby Trial in 1988 and 1998, with Kahyasi and High-Rise respectively. Both colts took the Epsom Derby on their next start and the master of Bedford Lodge Stables is looking to complete a notable treble with Curtain Call, currently trading as second favourite for Epsom in ante-post betting markets.
The Sadler’s Wells colt won the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh last season for his then trainer Jessica Harrington, prior to finishing fifth in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. Curtain Call made a winning debut for Cumani in April, when winning a three-runner 10-furlong contest at Nottingham by an easy six lengths.
Champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien, has two runners as he bids for a first success in the race. Alessandro Volta, who has been well-supported for Epsom in the ante-post market in recent days, landed a Listed event at Leopardstown on his final juvenile start and was fourth to Moiqen in the Group Three Ballysax Stakes at the same venue on April 20, a race in which stablemate King Of Rome was fifth.
Newmarket trainer Mark Tompkins has a 100 per cent record in the totesport.com Derby Trial. His two runners in the race, Bob’s Return (1993) and Franklins Gardens (2003) both won, with the first named going on to success in that year’s St Leger.
Tompkins has declared Alan Devonshire, a horse with a similar profile to his previous winners. The Mtoto colt was consistent in six starts last season, winning a seven-furlong Newcastle maiden in August and ending his campaign with a good third to Siberian Tiger in a mile Listed contest at Pontefract in October.
Damian Walker, the Tote PR Director, commented: “Curtain Call has been really well backed for the Derby since his Nottingham win, we originally went 8-1 after that win, but cut him to 5-1 yesterday after decent support.
“It will be very interesting to see how Alessandro Volta and King of Rome, the two Ballydoyle contenders, get on and By Command, who won very easily last time, is well regarded by the stable.”
The top quality seven-race card also includes the £45,000 Listed totesport 0800 221 221 Oaks Trial (2.40pm), which has attracted nine declared runners and is run over the same distance as the totesport.com Derby Trial.
Jazz Jam sets the standard as the Paul Cole-trained Pivotal filly was triumphant in the Listed Masaka Stakes over a mile at Kempton on April 12.
Ralph Beckett has engaged the once-raced Look Here who defeated the smart Doctor Fremantle, who won today’s Chester Vase, when winning a Salisbury maiden in October.
The Whitsbury trainer revealed this morning: “She has had a good long break and thus far we have had a trouble free trip this spring. She hasn’t had a day off and we’ve done work with her while hopefully leaving enough on her for the rest of the year. We are looking forward to Saturday.
“I had her in the Pretty Polly last weekend but I was keen to run her this weekend. She’s quite a tall, angular, long-backed filly and by running her at Lingfield, that will hopefully tell us whether she will handle Epsom, with the switchback and the undulations.
“If she progresses as I hope she will, then Saturday will only be the start. The way the rest of her family are, she will improve with age.”
Ed Dunlop runs the multiple all-weather winner Mischief Making, a close sixth in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Ice Queen won a Cork maiden on May 2, while Miracle Seeker and Classic Remark were third and fourth to Clowance in a competitive Newbury maiden on April 18.
The fantastic day’s racing also includes the £50,000 Group Three totesport betXtra Chartwell Fillies Stakes (3.45pm) over seven furlongs, which has attracted the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Sabana Perdida, winner of the Group Three Prix du Pin at Longchamp in September.
A competitive renewal is assured with 11 fillies and mares declared for the race, including another French raider in the shape of the Richard Gibson-trained Verba, successful over six furlongs at Maisons-Laffitte on April 7.
Others include Salsa Steps, Steam Cuisine and Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes runner-up Kylayne.
The contest was won in 2006 by subsequent Group One heroine Echelon, trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
LATEST GOING UPDATE
Lingfield Park’s Clerk of the Course, Neil MacKenzie Ross, reported today: “It is GOOD ground as we speak with a dry sunny day forecast today. It has been quite still over the last few days but we are getting a bit of a breeze now, so I would anticipate that tomorrow, when we race only on the straight course, we could see good to firm coming into the description.
“There is a chance of a little shower tomorrow morning and I think on Saturday the ground will be on the fast side of good. It should be safe, fast Flat racing ground. We will take a view tomorrow about whether we will water for Saturday, but as yet, we are not watering.
“I am really pleased with the fields for Saturday. It is great to see Aidan O’Brien sending over some runners, including two in the totesport.com Derby Trial, and with nine runners in the Oaks Trial, we really can’t ask for much more than that.”
Entrance Prices
■ Premier Enclosure £15 on the gate or £15 (including a free racecard) if pre-booked on line or by telephone www.lingfieldpark.co.uk Tel: 0870 2200022
■ Accompanied Children under 16 FREE
■ Parking FREE
■ Gates open 12.10pm
2008 Race Programme - Saturday, May 10
* 2.10 The Enter the Flat totetentofollow Conditions Stakes 1m 2f £20,000
* 3.10 The totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes (Class 1 Group 3) 1m 3 1/2f £60,000
* 3.45 The totesport betXtra Chartwell Fillies Stakes (Class 1 Group 3) 7f £50,000
4.20 The Nigel Collision Fuels Maiden Stakes 1m 2f £5,000
4.50 The Tony Laurence 50th Birthday Handicap 6f £10,000
5.25 The OCS Group Ladies Handicap (Lady Amateur Riders) 7f £5,000
* Live on Channel 4
All races to be shown on At The Races, Sky 415
Total prize fund on the day - £195,000
totesport.com Derby Trial History
Roll of Honour
Year Winner SP Jockey Trainer Owner
2007 Aqaleem 12/1 Richard Hills Marcus Tregoning Hamdan Al Maktoum
2006 Linda’s Lad 15/8F Christophe Soumillon Andre Fabre FR Sean Mulryan
2005 Kong 9/2 Richard Quinn John Dunlop Neil Jones
2004 Percussionist 11/4 Frankie Dettori John Gosden Exors of the late Robert Sangster
2003 Franklins Gardens 5/1 Darryll Holland Mark Tompkins Maggie Barwell
2002 Bandari 11/4 Kevin Darley Mark Johnston A Al-Rostamani
2001 Perfect Sunday 11/8F Richard Hughes Barry Hills Khalid Abdulla
2000 Saddler's Quest 10/3F Kevin Darley Gerard Butler The Fairy Story Partnership
1999 Lucido 3/1 Richard Quinn John Dunlop Hildegarde Focke
1998 High-Rise 15/8 Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
1997 Silver Patriarch 5/4F Pat Eddery John Dunlop Peter Winfield
1996 Mystic Knight 4/1 Frankie Dettori Roger Charlton Lady Oppenheimer
1995 Munwar 5/6F Willie Carson Peter Walwyn Hamdan Al Maktoum
1994 Hawker's News 5/1 Walter Swinburn Sir Michael Stoute Sheikh Mohammed
During the 76-year history of the totesport.com Derby Trial, the race has cemented its position as the most successful of all the specialist trial races - hardly surprising when you consider that Lingfield's configurations are the closest any Derby horse will experience to the unique undulations of Epsom.
The trial was the brainchild of Fred Wilmot, who was clerk of the course in 1932 and obviously saw the similarities between Lingfield racecourse and its Surrey neighbour.
Wilmot could hardly have dreamed of a better start when the first winner that year, April The Fifth, who was owned and trained by actor Tom Walls, stormed home by two lengths from Firdaussi and went on to confirm the form at Epsom, landing the spoils in the Derby by three quarters of a length with his old Lingfield rival back in fifth.
It took just five years for the trial to produce another Derby winner when Mid-day Sun won both races by a length and a half. After a 15-year barren spell, Lingfield was back among the Derby winners in the shape of the Aga Khan's brilliant colt Tulyar, who won seven out of seven during 1952. He hacked up in the Lingfield Park Derby Trial by an easy two lengths before battling tenaciously to win at Epsom from Gay Tune, who was ridden by a 16-year-old whippersnapper named Lester Piggott.
Following Parthia's win in both races in 1959, the Derby Trial went through something of a lean time, but there was a huge upturn in fortunes at the start of the 1980s and the race enjoyed a golden period.
Teenoso stopped the rot in 1983, winning the Derby Trial and the 'big one' by three lengths but his efforts were overshadowed two years later by the great Slip Anchor - surely the best-ever winner of the Lingfield trial. Henry Cecil's colt, partnered by the brilliant American Steve Cauthen, astonished the Lingfield crowd when sluicing to victory by 10 lengths and then went on to land the Blue Riband impressively at Epsom by seven lengths. Only the legendary Shergar has won the Derby by a wider margin in the modern era.
The Luca Cumani-trained Khayasi made it three Derby winners in six years in 1988 for the Lingfield Park trial, giving the present Aga Khan a Lingfield Derby Trial/Derby double. Cumani clearly appreciated the benefit of providing a Derby hopeful experience on a very similar circuit as he did exactly the same thing 10 years later with High-Rise, who was made to work really hard for both victories, landing the trial by a neck then scraping home by a head in the Derby.
The 2005 Lingfield Park Derby Trial runner-up, Walk In The Park, also came second in the Epsom Downs Classic. Aqaleem took last year’s renewal and went on to finish third behind Authorized in the Derby.
Over the years, the Lingfield Park Derby Trial has been responsible for producing plenty of star performers and looks set to do so for many years to come. Aureole (won the Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes and King George, also second in the Derby), Cacoethes (Derby runner-up), Rock Hopper (multiple Group winner), Bob's Return (St Leger winner) and Silver Patriarch (Derby runner-up and St Leger winner) are just a few of the top-class racehorses who clearly appreciated starting off their three-year-old campaigns at Lingfield Park.
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RECORD OF totesport.com DERBY TRIAL RUNNERS IN THE VODAFONE DERBY SINCE 1980
totesport Derby Trial (G3), 1m 3f 106yds, Lingfield Park, Saturday, May 10, 2008
YEAR
HORSE LINGFIELD DERBY
2007
Aqaleem 1st 3rd
Kid Mambo 3rd 7th
2006
Linda’s Lad 1st 9th
Before You Go 4th 13th
2005
Kong 1st 13th
Walk In The Park 2nd 2nd
Kings Quay 6th 11th
2004
Percussionist 1st 4th
Hazyview 2nd 8th
2003
Franklins Gardens 1st 14th
Let Me Try Again 2nd 7th
