Sold to Tony Nerses for 95,000 guineas as a foal at Tattersalls in November, 2004, Authorized again passed through the Park Paddocks sale ring 11 months later, by which time his value had appreciated considerably. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam was required to go to 400,000 guineas to secure the son of Montjeu on behalf of Kuwaiti businessmen Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar. Montjeu, Authorized’s sire - brilliant winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes - proved a revelation with his first three-year-olds in 2005, with Motivator and Walk In The Park filling the first two berths in the Vodafone Derby, while Arc and Irish Derby winner Hurricane Run and St Leger hero Scorpion added to his Group One tally. Authorized is the first foal of his dam Funsie, who is herself a half-sister to the high-class mare Brooklyn’s Dance, from the family of Okawango and Green Dancer. Authorized began his career in the Haynes, Hanson & Clarke Conditions Stakes over a mile at Newbury on September 15, 2006. After breaking slowly from the stalls, the bay colt was soon on terms and was sent to the front with two furlongs remaining before relinquishing the lead to finish third behind Teslin. Faced with the daunting task of breaking his maiden in the Group One Racing Post Trophy, Authorized returned to the course and distance and belied his 25/1 starting price to emphatically reverse placings with his previous conqueror. The colt relished his first start on heavy going, and, after being held up in the early stages under Frankie Dettori, he quickened to lead at the furlong pole before drawing clear of his 13 rivals to register a length and a quarter verdict over Charlie Farnsbarns, with Teslin only ninth. This season, he made his return to action in the Group Two totesport Dante Stakes at York on May 17, when he took up the running approaching the final furlong and quickened right away to score by four lengths from Raincoat. This ensured that he became a short-priced favourite for the Vodafone Derby.

Race Record: Starts: 3; 1st: 2; 2nd: 0; 3rd: 1: Win & Place Prize Money: £180,536

Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar
Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar are Kuwaiti businessmen whose dark green colours have become increasingly conspicuous in recent times. Their biggest successes to date came when the Jeremy Noseda-trained Araafa raced to victory in the 2006 Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Their annus mirabilis was capped with Authorized’s victory in the Group One Racing Post Trophy, while further big-race success in 2006 came courtesy of Hamoody in the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. Al Homaizi, chairman of the multi-faceted Al Homaizi Group, which employs 4,000 people, was introduced to European racing by Prince Yazid Saud, with whom he owned 1984 Cambridgeshire winner Leysh as well as Ile de Nisky, fourth to Nashwan in the 1989 Vodafone Derby. He also part-owned 1993 Irish 1,000 Guineas third Goodnight Kiss and the multiple Group Three winner Tropical. He owns Al Fanaar Stables in Kuwait. Al Sagar is chairman of the Kuwaiti shipbuilding and engineering company HEISCO and also has interests in the publishing and electronics industries. Al Homaizi and Al Sagar employ the services of Tony Nerses as their bloodstock advisor and he purchased eight yearlings for the pair at Keeneland in 2006. They have most of their 17 horses in training with Jeremy Noseda, Peter Chapple-Hyam and Brian Meehan in Britain, and Patrick Biancone in the US.

Vodafone Derby Record: No previous runners

Peter Chapple-Hyam
Born April 2, 1963, in Leamington Spa, Peter Chapple-Hyam gained valuable experience working for Barry Hills, Fred Rimell and Lynda Ramsden before taking over the trainer’s licence from Hills at the late Robert Sangster’s Manton complex in 1991. With Sangster as his main patron, Chapple-Hyam hit the ground running, securing major two-year-old Group One victories in his first season, with Dr Devious winning the Dewhurst Stakes and the brilliant Rodrigo de Triano the Middle Park Stakes. The following year brought Vodafone Derby glory as he prepared Dr Devious to run seventh in the Kentucky Derby before taking the Epsom Classic by two lengths. Rodrigo de Triano meanwhile gave Lester Piggott his 30th and final Classic win in the 2000 Guineas and added a further three Group One successes that term - Irish 2,000 Guineas, Juddmonte International and Champion Stakes. Group One glory continued with the likes of top-class 1993 Italian Derby winner White Muzzle, Turtle Island and Spectrum, winners of the 1994 & 1995 Irish 2,000 Guineas respectively, Revoque, successful in the Prix de la Salamandre and Grand Criterium in 1996, the filly Carmine Lake, victorious in the 1997 Prix de l’Abbaye and 1998 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Victory Note. Seeking a new challenge, he moved to Hong Kong in 1999 but found success hard to come by in the former British colony and returned to Britain ahead of the 2004 Flat season with a point to prove. With his string based at St Gatien Stables in Newmarket, Chapple-Hyam immediately silenced any doubters as he improved the three-year-old African Dream from lowly all-weather claiming class to four straight wins that included a brace of Group Three classic trials. Further big-race success followed that year as Captain Hurricane took the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket and Montgomery’s Arch the Group Two Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. Memories of the glory days of the 1990s were rekindled in 2006 as he saddled the top-class juvenile Dutch Art to four straight wins that included a brace of Group Ones (Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes), while Authorized collected the Group One Racing Post Trophy, a race the trainer won in 1998 with Commander Collins. In 2005, he separated from his wife Jane (now a fellow Newmarket trainer), daughter of Robert Sangster’s second wife, Susan.

Vodafone Derby Record: 1992 DR DEVIOUS (WON), Rodrigo de Triano (9th); 1993 Cairo Prince (4th), Planetary Aspect (12th), Zind (16th); 1994 Colonel Collins (3rd), Pencander (6th); 1995 Court Of Honour (5th), Spectrum (13th); 1996 Chief Contender (9th); 1997 Romanov (3rd), Single Empire (11th); 1999 Brancaster (10th)

Frankie Dettori
Born in Milan on December 15, 1970, the son of Gianfranco, a multiple champion jockey in Italy, Frankie Dettori arrived from his homeland to join Luca Cumani’s Newmarket yard as an apprentice in July, 1985. His first success came on Rif at Turin, Italy, on November 16, 1986, and he rode his first British winner on Lizzy Hare at Goodwood on June 9, 1987. He was champion British apprentice in 1989 and passed 100 winners for the first time in 1990 when recording 141 successes. He has since captured the hearts of racegoers with his flamboyant style, phenomenal riding successes, and charisma in and out of the saddle. Champion jockey in 1994, 1995 and 2004, Dettori created history when riding all seven winners on the first-day card at the Ascot Festival in September, 1996. His ground-breaking exertions brought recognition beyond racing’s own sphere when he was voted into third place in the 1996 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and was a team captain on ‘A Question Of Sport’. While victory in the Vodafone Derby still eludes Dettori, Cape Verdi’s win in the 1998 1000 Guineas means that he has tasted success in all four other domestic Classics at least once (with 11 in total), as well as a host of high-profile international successes, including the 1995 and 2002 Arcs on Lammtarra and Marienbard respectively, the Japan Cup on Singspiel in 1996, Falbrav in 2002 and Alkaased in 2005, the Dubai World Cup on Dubai Millennium (2000), Moon Ballad (2003) and Electrocutionist (2006) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Daylami in 1999, Fantastic Light in 2001 and Red Rocks in 2006. Dettori, who is retained by the Godolphin team, survived an horrific plane crash at Newmarket in 2000 in which the pilot was killed. He is married to Catherine with five children, and his autobiography came out in 2004.

Vodafone Derby Record: 1992 Pollen Count (16th); 1993 Wolf Prince (8th); 1994 Linney Head (10th); 1995 Tamure (2nd); 1996 Shantou (3rd); 1997 Bold Demand (9th); 1998 Cape Verdi (9th); 1999 Dubai Millennium (9th); 2001 Tobougg (3rd); 2002 Naheef (7th); 2003 Graikos (8th); 2004 Snow Ridge (7th); 2005 Dubawi (3rd), 2006 Linda’s Lad (9th)