18 contenders go forward for £1,413,500 Classic
An ultra-competitive 229th renewal of the Vodafone Derby is in prospect at 4pm on Saturday (June 7) after 15 contenders stood their ground and three supplementary entries were added to the famous Classic today.
With the three supplementary entries each paying £75,000, the total prize fund for Saturday's contest at Epsom Downs now stands at £1,413,500 (up from £1,250,000).
Andrew Cooper, Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing at Epsom Downs, said: "The three supplementary entries contribute £54,500 each, so the race value will increase by £163,500.
"It's worked out by taking the equivalent of a three-year-old entry, which is £20,500, off £75,000 and the balance goes into the race. The £20,500 by three is used towards the guaranteed prize fund."
As expected, market leader Casual Conquest has been supplemented by owners Moyglare Stud Farms. The Hernando colt, trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, is unbeaten in two starts, most recently when showing a devastating turn of turn of foot to land the Group Two Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial by six lengths at Leopardstown on May 11.
Weld said today: "I'm very happy with Casual Conquest and his preparations - he's in good form.
"I'm not concerned about the softer ground conditions and I've yet to decide when he will travel over to Epsom."
The two other supplementary entries are Doctor Fremantle and River Proud. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Doctor Fremantle entered the reckoning for the Vodafone Derby after landing the Group Three Chester Vase on May 8 while River Proud was a fast-finishing third behind Falco when last seen out in the French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp on May 11.
Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdulla, owner of Doctor Fremantle, revealed today: "We are very happy with Doctor Fremantle's progress. He has come on well in recent weeks and Sir Michael was pleased with his work on Saturday.
"He handled Chester very well, and, while it does not necessarily follow that he will handle Epsom, it is a tight left-handed track and I think he should be able to handle the hustle and bustle of the Derby.
"I think you have to go with the attitude that you are going to try and win the race, otherwise it becomes rather a waste of time, but I think he certainly has the make and shape for it. We know he will stay - he is more than qualified on both sides of his pedigree, so we are going there very positive.
"Although he has raced mainly on good or good to firm, he is by Sadler's Wells and they tend to go well with cut in the ground, so he may even be better on that sort of going."
Paul Cole said of River Proud: "I believe his father (Proud Citizen) was second over a mile and a half but you would expect Gone West to have an influence of speed and, like half the field, there is a possibility that he won't stay the trip.
"We worked him over a mile and a half and that is all we could really do to get some sort of indication as to whether he stays or not. He was staying on really strongly in the French Guineas as if further might suit him well. If they had gone another quarter of a mile in that race then he would have finished in front.
"We took him to Kempton, worked him over a mile and a half and, although it's always a bit inconclusive, he appeared to stay. He's got good legs and is a handy sort. He's fit and he's got a chance of being right there. It's a question of staying for all of them."
New Approach provides the biggest surprise at today's confirmation stage. Last year's champion juvenile, who has finished runner-up in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas this year, has been left in by trainer Jim Bolger and is one of seven remaining Irish entries.
Aidan O'Brien, who sent out Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) to victory, is responsible for the remaining five Irish-trained contenders - Lingfield Derby Trial first and second Alessandro Volta and King Of Rome, Dante Stakes runner-up Frozen Fire, Washington Irving, second to Casual Conquest at Leopardstown, and Bashkirov.
In addition to Doctor Fremantle, Sir Michael Stoute is also set to be represented by Group Two Dante Stakes winner Tartan Bearer, who will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of 2004 hero North Light for owners Ballymacoll Stud, and Group Three Dee Stakes hero Tajaaweed. If the master of Freemason Lodge were to win this year's Vodafone Derby, he would become the most successful current trainer in the Classic following his four previous successes with Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003) and North Light (2004).
Likewise, four-time Vodafone Derby winning trainer Henry Cecil could also become the most successful current handler in the 12-furlong Group One should Kandahar Run, successful in the Listed Newmarket Stakes last time out, prove triumphant. Cecil's previous Derby scorers were Slip Anchor (1985), Reference Point (1987), Commander In Chief (1993) and Oath (1999).
Luca Cumani has sent out a Derby winner in each of the previous two decades when the year ended in eight, namely Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998). This year he runs the well-supported Curtain Call, a Group Two winner in Ireland last season and a comfortable winner on his return to action at Nottingham on April 23.
Godolphin's one remaining contender is French 2,000 Guineas runner-up Rio De La Plata, a Group One winner in France last season , while John Gosden, successful with Benny The Dip (1997), has left in Bronze Cannon, who got the better of Doctor Fremantle at Newmarket on April 17 before winning again at the same course on May 25.
The three remaining contenders are the Mark Tompkins-trained Alan Devonshire, fourth in the Lingfield Derby Trial on his reappearance, Bouguereau, from the dual Derby winning stable of Peter Chapple-Hyam, and rank outsider Maidstone Mixture, who has recently joined the Paul Murphy yard.
GROUND
Andrew Cooper, Clerk of the Course and Director of Racing at Epsom Downs, is happy with the ground at Epsom Downs today.
He said: "As of this afternoon the going is now good to soft.
"It was dry until around 2.30pm today since when, as expected, we have experienced some light patchy rain.
"We are expecting further and heavier rain overnight."
THE 2008 VODAFONE DERBY
Class 1, Group 1, £1,413,500 Total Prize Fund, 4.00pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, June 7, 2008. For three-year-olds only, entire colts & fillies, one mile, four furlongs & 10yds. Weights: colts 9st. Entries closed December 6, 2006, (465 entries). First forfeit stage March 4, 2008 (125 remained), £8,000 second entry stage April 8, 2008 (13 second entries), second forfeit stage May 23, 2008 (21 remained), £75,000 supplementary entry stage June 2, 2008 (3 supplementary entries). Five/six-day confirmation stage June 2, 2008 (15 remain), final declaration stage 10am, June 5, 2008. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, June 1, 2008. May not include some overseas form.
Form Horse Owner Trainer/Probable Jockey
1223-4 ALAN DEVONSHIRE Russell Trew Ltd Mark Tompkins/Paul Mulrennan
031-41 ALESSANDRO VOLTA Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
34-53 BASHKIROV Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
043-120 BOUGUEREAU Andrew Black Peter Chapple-Hyam/Alan Munro
(0)(1)(1)-11 BRONZE CANNON (USA) Anthony Oppenheimer John Gosden/Jimmy Fortune
1-1 CASUAL CONQUEST (IRE) Moyglare Stud Farms Dermot Weld IRE/Pat Smullen
62215-1 CURTAIN CALL (FR) Juliet Cooper and Partners Luca Cumani/Jamie Spencer
221-21 DOCTOR FREMANTLE Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute/Kerrin McEvoy
10-2 FROZEN FIRE (GER) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
211-21 KANDAHAR RUN Gestut Ammerland Henry Cecil/Ted Durcan
010-52 KING OF ROME (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
36(0)-(5)(3)0(3) MAIDSTONE MIXTURE (FR) Fergus Wilson Paul Murphy
11111-22 NEW APPROACH (IRE) H R H Princess Haya of Jordan Jim Bolger IRE/Kevin Manning
311214-2 RIO DE LA PLATA (USA) Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor/Frankie Dettori
12010-43 RIVER PROUD (USA) Lorraine Spencer Paul Cole/Richard Quinn
10-1 TAJAAWEED (USA) Hamdan Al Maktoum Sir Michael Stoute/Richard Hills
2-11 TARTAN BEARER (IRE) Ballymacoll Stud Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore
4-22 WASHINGTON IRVING (IRE) Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
18 entries go forward at June 2 five-day conformation stage (including 3 supplementary entries)
7 Irish-trained
