Eight more horses in the mix for Epsom Derby (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Eight more horses in the mix for Epsom Derby

11:47am Friday 9th April 2010

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Eight horses have come forward at the second entry stage for this year’s £1.25 million Group One Investec Derby, highlight of the Investec Derby Festival, on Saturday, June 5.

Connections of the octet paid £8,000 each to join those entries made at the yearling stage in December, 2008.

There is one final opportunity for horses to enter the 2010 Investec Derby on Monday, May 31, when there is a £75,000 supplementary stage for Britain’s premier Classic.

Leading owner Khalid Abdulla has twice been successful in the Derby with Quest For Fame (1990) and Commander In Chief (1993) and his famous green, pink and white silks may this year be sported by exciting maiden winners Workforce and Bullet Train.

Workforce, who is trained by three-time Investec Derby winner Sir Michael Stoute, beat subsequent Tattersalls Timeform Million scorer Oasis Dancer by six lengths on his only start in a seven-furlong contest at Goodwood in September.

That scintillating victory earmarked the home-bred son of King’s Best as a future Classic prospect and he may bid to emulate last year’s outstanding Investec Derby victor Sea The Stars and try to land the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket en route to Epsom glory.

Bullet Train is in the care of another master of Epsom Downs, Henry Cecil, who has landed the Derby on four occasions and won the Oaks no fewer than eight times.

On his sole appearance last season, the home-bred Sadler’s Wells colt belied his greenness to gain a short-head victory over a mile at Yarmouth at the end of October.

Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager to the owner, revealed: “I previously said that Workforce was not certain to stay a mile and a half because he was by King’s Best. Obviously, Sir Michael and Ryan Moore think differently and so he has been given an entry in the Investec Derby.

“He has plenty of stamina on his dam’s side but if you look at King’s Best, he was a miler and he tends to produce similar types. Sea The Stars was by Cape Cross, but unfortunately Workforce’s dam Soviet Moon is no Urban Sea!

“He will hopefully progress towards the Investec Derby and the 2000 Guineas is a possibility at the moment. He would probably go straight to Newmarket if he were to take his chance there.

“Bullet Train is the other side of the coin compared to Workforce in terms of breeding - he is by Sadler’s Wells out of a fast mare. There is a lot of stamina in his family and he is a three-parts brother to Powerscourt.

“He won his maiden nicely at Yarmouth, when he ran green, but we are hopeful that he is a progressive type of horse. He has done very well over the winter and Henry is pleased with his progress so far.”

While both Workforce and Bullet Train have yet to realise their full potential on the racecourse, crack US performer Noble’s Promise already boasts a Grade One victory to his name having triumphed in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity over an extended mile on Polytrack at Keeneland in October.

The Cuvee colt is trained by Kentucky-based Kenny McPeek, who sent over Hard Buck to take second in the 2004 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

In a productive juvenile campaign, Noble’s Promise was a close third behind Godolphin’s Vale Of York in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Pro-Ride at Santa Anita and ended his season by coming second to US champion two-year-old Lookin At Lucky in the Cashcall Futurity on Cushion-Track at Hollywood Park.

He made his seasonal return when filling the runner-up spot once more behind Lookin At Lucky, going down by a head in the dirt Grade Three Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 13.

McPeek said: “It depends how Noble’s Promise gets on in his next couple of starts whether we decide to come over to the UK but we wanted the option of running him in the Investec Derby. He is set to run in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on Saturday and we are aiming him at the Kentucky Derby after that.

“I walked the course at Epsom when Hard Buck came over to England in 2004 and I think that this horse will like the course. There is a slight question of whether he will get the mile and a half but I know that he will handle the sharp turns and he won his maiden on turf.

“He has a high cruising speed and I think that you need a colt who travels handy to win a race like the Investec Derby, rather than a galloping type.

“I was really pleased with his run in the Rebel Stakes and he probably went into that race at about 90 per cent - we felt that it would be a good start for the season. I expect him to improve for that outing and he is doing well at the moment.

“If he were to skip the Preakness, then I would be more inclined to run him at Epsom and then go for the Belmont Stakes. He is by far the best of my three-year-olds and he ran well against Vale Of York at the Breeders’ Cup, so we have a fair idea of where he stands in relation to the good European colts.”

Trainer Richard Hannon has given an Investec Derby entry to Kalypso King, who was an emphatic seven-length winner of a mile Newbury maiden in October and ended his campaign with a clear second in a Newmarket conditions race over the same distance eight days later. The Giant’s Causeway colt, who carries the colours of leading Barbados owner Sir David Seale, is certainly bred to appreciate a mile and a half around Epsom Downs, being out of the 2000 Oaks runner-up Kalypso Katie.

Richard Hannon Jnr, assistant to his father, commented: “Kalypso King couldn’t have been more impressive when winning his maiden at Newbury. He has done well over the winter and we thought that he deserved to get an entry in the Investec Derby.

“We will possibly have a look at running him in one of the trials - he’s got an entry in the Dante Stakes - but it is very early days at the moment and we haven’t got that far with him so far this season.

“He showed plenty of speed last season but I am hopeful that he could be a middle-distance horse as a three-year-old. He is by Giant’s Causeway and his dam was second in the 2000 Oaks, so you would think that he would get the Derby trip.”

The Godolphin operation has made three second entries, giving them a total of 18 horses going forward, headed by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Passion For Gold, who romped to a six-length victory in France’s Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud in November.

Bin Suroor, successful in the 1995 Derby with Lammtarra, has also engaged Group One Racing Post Trophy third Al Zir, while Godolphin’s newest trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni may be represented by the unbeaten French Group Three scorer Zeitoper, whose dam Kazzia won the 2002 Oaks.

Further representation from the Maktoum family is provided by the Barry Hills-trained Rashaad, who made a winning debut when taking a seven-furlong maiden at Doncaster in October. The Smart Strike colt is one of 11 entries representing dual Derby-winning owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Europe’s top two-year-old of 2009, St Nicholas Abbey, trained by Aidan O’Brien in Ireland, remains the hot favourite with bookmakers for the 2010 Investec Derby. He is one of 128 three-year-olds aiming for the premier Classic.

THE EIGHT SECOND ENTRIES FOR THE 2010 DERBY AL ZIR (USA) b c Medaglia D’Oro (USA) - Bayou Plains (USA) (Bayou Herbert (USA)) Form: 113- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Breeder: Jacks Or Better Farm Inc.

Al Zir was a US$1.6 million purchase when topping Fasig-Tipton’s Calder breeze-up sale in March, 2009. By the two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Medaglia D’Oro, he is a half-brother to Grade One seven-furlong winner Midas Eyes. Al Zir’s racecourse debut brought a four-length victory in a Newmarket seven-furlong maiden on August 7. He followed up with a five-length beating of Treadwell in a conditions race over the same trip at Doncaster a month later. Al Zir then stepped up to a mile on his latest start in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at the same South Yorkshire venue on October 24. The colt kept on to take third, just over six lengths behind St Nicholas Abbey.

BULLET TRAIN b c Sadler’s Wells (USA) - Kind (IRE) Danehill (USA) Form: 1- Owner: Khalid Abdulla Trainer: Henry Cecil Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Ltd The first foal of six-furlong Listed winner Kind, the Sadler’s Wells colt Bullet Train is a Juddmonte homebred from a top-class family. The colt’s dam is a half-sister to Powerscourt, who stayed a mile and three quarters but was most effective at 10 furlongs, with his biggest success coming at that distance in the Grade One Arlington Million in America. Bullet Train’s sole start to date brought a short-head victory in a mile maiden at Yarmouth on October 27. His sire has been responsible for two Derby winners, Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002).

KALYPSO KING (USA) ch c Giant’s Causeway (USA) - Kalypso Katie (IRE) (Fairy King (USA)) Form: 3312- Owner: Sir David Seale Trainer: Richard Hannon Breeder: Chelston Purchased for US$45,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September, 2008, Kalypso King is out of the 2000 Investec Oaks runner-up Kalypso Katie. Third on his debut over six furlongs at Windsor on August 24, he filled the same berth at Newbury a month later. He relished the step up to a mile at Newbury on October 8, winning by seven lengths, but was only runner-up to Champagne Style over the same distance in the Houghton Conditions Stakes at Newmarket eight days later.

NOBLE’S PROMISE (USA) b c Cuvee (USA) - The Devil’s Trick (USA) (Clever Trick (USA)) Form: (2)1(1)(1)(3)(2)-(2) Owner: Chasing Dreams Racing 2008 Trainer: Kenny McPeek USA Breeder: C & B Kidder A leading juvenile in the US last year, Noble’s Promise landed a hat-trick of wins, culminating in the Grade One Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on October 10. He followed that with a third to Vale Of York in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in November. His first season ended with a three quarter length second to top US juvenile Lookin At Lucky in the Grade One Futurity at Hollywood Park in December and his latest start saw him finish the head runner-up to that rival in the Grade Two Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on March 13. The Cuvee colt was a bargain US$10,000 purchase as a foal at Keeneland in November, 2007.

PASSION FOR GOLD (USA) b c Medaglia D’Oro (USA) - C’Est L’Amour (USA) (Thunder Gulch (USA)) Form: 131- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Breeder: Roy & Gretchen Jackson Successful twice from three starts, Passion For Gold ended his two-year-old campaign with a stunning victory in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the colt relished the heavy going as he pulled six lengths clear of a classy field to win the 10-furlong contest on November 14. After landing a mile maiden at Thirsk on his debut, the Godolphin colt suffered his sole defeat when third to St Nicholas Abbey in the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on September 27. The Medaglia D’Oro colt is out of the high-class C’Est L’Amour and was purchased for 260,000 guineas as a two-year-old.

RASHAAD (USA) b c Smart Strike (CAN) - Martinique (USA) (Pleasant Colony (USA)) Form: 1- Owner: Hamdan Al Maktoum Trainer: Barry Hills Breeder: G Watts Humphrey Jnr.

The once raced Rashaad has a perfect record so far, having posted a promising half a length victory in a seven-furlong Doncaster maiden on October 23. The Smart Strike colt, a US$650,000 purchase at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is a half-brother to US Grade Three mile and a half winner Communique. His dam, Martinique, is a winning half-sister to the top-class 10-furlong winner Muhtarram who was fourth to Dr Devious in the 1992 Derby.

WORKFORCE b c King’s Best (USA) - Soviet Moon (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells (USA)) Form: 1- Owner: Khalid Abdulla Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Ltd.

An impressive debut at Goodwood on September 23 announced Workforce as a colt to keep an eye on. The Juddmonte homebred brushed aside subsequent Tattersalls Timeform Million winner Oasis Dancer by an easy six lengths in that seven–furlong maiden, his only start to date. Workforce is by the 2000 Guineas winner King’s Best out of a full-sister to Racing Post Trophy and St Leger winner Brian Boru.

ZEITOPER br c Singspiel (IRE) - Kaz zia (GER) (Zinaad) Form: 111- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Mahmood Al Zarooni UAE Breeder: Darley Unbeaten in three career starts, Zeitoper flashed home late to win by a nose on his debut in a mile maiden at Sandown on September 16. Stepped up an extra half a furlong at Epsom on October 3, the Singspiel colt proved a length and a half too good for the useful Raine’s Cross. Sent to Longchamp for his final start of the 2009 season on October 18, Zeitoper was driven out to win the nine-furlong Group Three Prix de Conde by a short-neck from Circumvent. The Darley homebred is out of Godolphin’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Kazzia, making him a full-brother to mile and a half Group One winner Eastern Anthem. Having been trained by Saeed bin Suroor as a juvenile, Zeitoper is now in the care of Mahmood Al Zarooni.

THE 2010 INVESTEC DERBY Class 1, Group 1, £1,250,000 Total Prize Fund, Epsom Downs, Saturday, June 5, 2010. For three-year-olds only, entire colts & fillies, one mile & four furlongs. Entries closed December 2, 2008 (388 entries). First scratchings deadline noon, March 2, 2010 (122 remained - 2 since scratched), £8,000 secondary entry stage noon, April 6, 2010 (8 extra entries received), second scratchings deadline noon, May 20, 2010, £75,000 supplementary entry & five-day confirmation stage, noon, May 31, 2010, final declaration stage 10am, June 3, 2010. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, April 4, 2010. May not include some overseas form.

SECOND ENTRIES IN ITALICS Form Horse Owner Trainer ABRASIVE (IRE) Tony Bloom William Haggas 3- ALBURJ (USA) Hamdan Al Maktoum Dermot Weld IRE 113- AL ZIR (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 113- AMEER (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 3- ANCIENT KINGDOM (USA) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 12- ANHAR (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor APRES VOUS (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE ARABIAN HISTORY (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 51- AT FIRST SIGHT (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 1230- ATLANTIS STAR Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 415- AVERROES (IRE) HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Clive Cox 10- AWAIT THE DAWN (USA) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 0- AWSAAL Hamdan Al Maktoum John Dunlop 110- AZMEEL M Al-Qatami & K M Al-Mudhaf John Gosden 20- BAB AL SHAMS (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 13461(6)- BEETHOVEN (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 422-4 BEHTARINI (IRE) H H Aga Khan John Oxx IRE 2- BIG OCCASION (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 3- BITTER MAN (IRE) Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon 4- BLISSFUL MOMENT (USA) Saeed Suhail Sir Michael Stoute 5-6 BOLD QUEST (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 04- BOMBADERO (IRE) Windflower Overseas Holdings Inc John Dunlop BRIDGE MOUNTAIN (USA) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE (6)(2)- BRIGHT HORIZON Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 1- BULLET TRAIN Khalid Abdulla Henry Cecil 1- BURJ NAHAR Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 10- BURNETT (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 111- CAPE BLANCO (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 6- CAPTAIN JAMES COOK Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE (0)- CARRAIGLAWN (IRE) Jackie Bolger Jim Bolger IRE 120- CHABAL (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 0-(1)(2) CHINK OF LIGHT David Brownlow Andrew Balding CLEAR ALTERNATIVE (IRE) Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd Dermot Weld IRE CLEARWATER BAY (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 10- COORDINATED CUT (IRE) Lawrie Inman Michael Bell 5-334 COSMO MEADOW (IRE) Big Red Farm Shigenori Hatakeyama JPN DANCE AT DAWN (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE DESERT MYTH (USA) Saeed Suhail Sir Michael Stoute DEUX ETOILES (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE (1)3 DIBIR (FR) H H Aga Khan Jean Claude Rouget FR 314- DON CARLOS (GER) Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 230(1)- DYNASTY Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 0-(1)(1) EDINBURGH KNIGHT (IRE) Knights Racing Paul D'Arcy 1433- EMIRATES DREAM (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 22-6 ENCOMPASSING (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE ESHTYAAQ Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning ETON FOREVER (IRE) HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah Michael Jarvis 2- FAIR TRADE Raymond Tooth David Elsworth 3- FALCON FLIGHT (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 1(1)-(0) FAREEJ (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor (1)2- FENCING MASTER Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE (1)(5)-4 FIGHTING BRAVE (USA) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 41- FLYING CROSS (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 0-(1) GOMRATH (IRE) Jon and Julia Aisbitt Mick Channon 661-4 GREEN LIGHTNING (IRE) The Green Dot Partnership Mark Johnston 4-(2)(1)(1)(1)(2) GREYFRIARSCHORISTA Greyfriars UK Ltd Mark Johnston 0(6)-(2)(1)(6) GUMND (IRE) Saeed Manana Clive Brittain 2140- HIGH TWELVE (IRE) Thomas Barr John Gosden 216- HOT PROSPECT Alan Spence Michael Jarvis IBN SINA (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 411- JAN VERMEER (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE JOSEPH LISTER Bill Gredley John Gosden 121- JOSHUA TREE (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 3312- KALYPSO KING Sir David Seale Richard Hannon 4- KING'S WARRIOR (FR) Paul Hancock Gary Moore 3- LATANSAA Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning 1002- LORD HIGH ADMIRAL (IRE) Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE (0)1- MAKANI (GER) Niarchos Family Jonathan Pease FR 3277-33 MEINER GUT (JPN) Thoroughbred Club Ruffian Ryuichi Inaba JPN 314- MIDAS TOUCH Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 12612- MIKHAIL GLINKA (IRE) Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 31- MONT AGEL John Pearce Michael Bell 2215- MORANA (IRE) Andrew Black Peter Chapple-Hyam 213- MUBTASSIM Hamdan Al Maktoum Freddie Head FR 321- MUFARRH (IRE) Hamdan Al Maktoum John Dunlop 01- MULTAMES (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor MUTASAREB (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor (1)- NEXT MOVE (IRE) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 4- NIBANI (IRE) Ballymacoll Stud Sir Michael Stoute 16- NO HUBRIS (USA) Mrs Fitri Hay Paul Cole 1(1)(1)(3)(2)-(2) NOBLE’S PROMISE (USA) Chasing Dreams Racing 2008 Kenny McPeek USA ORIGINAL QUEST (IRE) The Originals Mark Johnston PASSING THE TORCH (IRE) The Honorable Earle Mack Luca Cumani 131- PASSION FOR GOLD Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 4- PEKAN STAR HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah Michael Jarvis 6- PEKAN THREE (IRE) HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah Paul Cole PETER MARTINS (IRE) The Honorable Earle Mack Luca Cumani POINT NORTH (IRE) Sir Robert Ogden Jeremy Noseda (1)- POWERFUL MELODY (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 2- PRINCE OF DREAMS G Roddick William Knight 2162- PROMPTER The Royal Ascot Racing Club Michael Bell 3342(0)1-3 PURPLE HEART (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 0- QUEST FOR GOLD Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 0- RAIN FOREST Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 1- RASHAAD (USA) Hamdan Al Maktoum Barry Hills 51- RASMY Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning 6- ROCKET MAN (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE (1) RUBI DIA C G Maybury Mark Johnston 0 SAIL BOAT (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE SCOTTISH REEL (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 6(2)-3 SEPTEMBER MORN (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 5-(1) SHERNANDO The Originals Mark Johnston 2 SIDPOUR (IRE) H H Aga Khan Jean Claude Rouget FR SILVER FOX (IRE) Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE SNOW BLIZZARD (IRE) Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 0- SOUR MASH (IRE) The Honorable Earle Mack Luca Cumani SPACE AND TIME (IRE) Jackie Bolger Jim Bolger IRE 4- SPEARTOOTH Niarchos Family Pascal Bary FR 111- ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE STAR OF THE SHOW Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE 14- STEINBECK (IRE) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE 210- STUNNING VIEW (IRE) Dr Ronan Lambe Dermot Weld IRE (1) TAJAARUB Hamdan Al Maktoum Barry Hills 21- TAMAATHUL Hamdan Al Maktoum Barry Hills 013- TED SPREAD False Nose 'n Glasses Partnership Mark Tompkins 20-(4) TEXAN STAR (IRE) John Gosden John Gosden 30- THEOLOGY Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Touchstone Jeremy Noseda 3(1)- TREASURE TOWN Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 000- TROVARE (USA) John Connolly Amanda Perrett VICEROY (IRE) Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE 31120-2 VISCOUNT NELSON (USA) Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE VITA VENTURI (IRE) Ruairi O'Coileain/John Corcoran/Jackie Bolger Jim Bolger IRE 312- WASEET Hamdan Al Maktoum John Dunlop 1- WORKFORCE Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute 22- YOUM JAMIL (USA) Jaber Abdullah Brian Meehan 408-6 YUME YUME YUME (IRE) Shigeyuki Okada Ryuichi Inaba JPN 111- ZEITOPER Godolphin Mahmood Al Zarooni UAE 6- ZULU PRINCIPLE Plantation Stud Dermot Weld IRE 128 entries go forward 48 Irish-trained 5 French-trained 3 Japanese-trained 1 US-trained THE FOLLOWING TWO HORSES HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED: COASTAL WELLS (IRE), GARTH MOUNTAIN

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