Vodafone Derby Clues Aplenty
25/04/08

The Group Three P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, staged at Leopardstown on April 20, has been an informative Vodafone Derby trial in recent times with Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) taking the 10-furlong contest en route to Epsom glory, while the brilliant Sinndar (2000) was second in the contest prior to his Derby triumph.

Trainer Kevin Prendergast has a Vodafone Derby contender on his hands following Moiqen’s victory in this season’s renewal of the 10-furlong contest. The Red Ransom colt kept on readily to repel the challenge of Hebridean and win by three quarters of a length, with fellow Vodafone Derby entries Alessandro Volta and King Of Rome fourth and fifth.

The last three named are all trained by Aidan O’Brien, who expressed the belief post-race that the well-touted Alessandro Volta deserves another chance to prove himself as jockey Johnny Murtagh reported that the Montjeu colt’s saddle had slipped after leaving the stalls.

Newmarket’s Craven Meeting saw the Henry Cecil-trained Twice Over maintain his unbeaten record in the Group Three banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes and is now the 4/1 market leader for Epsom glory on June 7. The Observatory colt looks set to miss the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas, with the Vodafone Derby now his prime target.

The Cecil colt defeated fellow Vodafone Derby entries in the O’Brien-trained The Bogberry (third) and City Leader (sixth), trained by Brian Meehan, who will also side-step the Newmarket Classic.

Division two of the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket saw the O’Brien-trained Zulu Chief, a half-brother to 2002 Vodafone Derby runner-up Hawk Wing, stay on to take third.

Campanologist defeated the Cecil-trained Vodafone Derby entry Kandahar Run in the Feilden Stakes, with Poet third. The winner is not engaged yet at Epsom but has now moved to Godolphin and could yet be supplemented.

Curtain Call staked a strong claim for the Vodafone Derby’s prize money of £1,250,000 with a facile victory in the three-runner Intercasino.co.uk Conditions Stakes at Nottingham. The 10-furlong contest, traditionally run at Epsom as the Blue Riband Trial Stakes, was staged at the Nottinghamshire venue this year while Epsom continues with its stunning redevelopment.

The Luca Cumani-trained Curtain Call is now generally 7/1 second favourite for the premier Classic and is likely to head to Lingfield for the Group Three totesport.com Derby Trial on Saturday, May 10, a race his trainer won with his previous Derby heroes Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998).

Fellow Derby-winning trainer John Gosden has Centennial, currently the 12/1 third favourite, who is set to make his three-year-old debut in the Casino At Bet365.com Classic Trial at Sandown on Saturday, as well as Ridge Dance and the progressive Bronze Cannon. The last-named completed a hat-trick when edging out Irish Derby entry Doctor Fremantle to win a 10-furlong handicap at Newmarket on April 17.

Freddie Head never enjoyed Epsom Derby success as a jockey but he could bid for glory as a trainer with the exciting Tamayuz, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. The unbeaten Nayef colt landed the Group Three Prix de Fontainebleu at Longchamp on April 13 and looks set for a tilt at the French Classic, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp on May 11, prior to a possible run at Epsom.

With the stanjamesuk.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 3, followed by the Chester May Meeting and York’s Dante Meeting, not to mention the Lingfield Derby Trial, the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and this weekend’s Sandown Classic Trial, there are plenty more opportunities for potential Vodafone Derby contenders to emerge from the pack in the coming weeks.