Curragh Classic Taking Shape

Kildare, IRELAND–The Curragh Racecourse hosted a 'breakfast with the stars' style event on Tuesday morning ahead of its G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festival this weekend, but unfortunately unlike the well-established pre-Epsom Derby event, underfoot conditions on The Curragh meant trainers were reluctant to allow any of their Derby challengers to get a feel for the track.

When one bemoans the going in Ireland it normally suggests the ground is 'hock deep', however, as we are currently in the vice-grip of a very pleasant heatwave, good to firm, firm in places is the order of the day, a situation which isn't generating too many complaints from flat trainers. For an Irish Derby challenger, getting a feel for the track is a bit superfluous anyway, given The Curragh is probably as uncomplicated a track that a horse could compete at internationally. Those media folk who rose early and made their way to the track on the promise of breakfast were also given an insight by a number of trainers, some in person, others via telephone, on the well-being of their challengers.

Michael Halford has been training for 35 years and he had his first runner in the Irish Derby in 1986, and one suspects he didn't expect to have to wait 32 years for his next runner. The trainer was on hand after watching his contender Platinum Warrior (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) do his final bit of work up the Old Vic gallop on Tuesday morning. Halford hasn't had the opportunity to train many Galileo colts and it is not a coincidence that when one did come along he just happened to be good enough to be aimed at an Irish Derby.

“Flat racing has become very much about pedigrees,” the trainer said. “Only now and then does a horse come along that outruns its pedigree and it's even hard enough to get one to run to up to his or her pedigree. When you get the opportunity to train a well-bred horse like Platinum Warrior at least it gives you a chance at competing at the top. As we regularly see there are any number of trainers who are more than capable of training a top-class horse, it's just getting your hands on them that is difficult.”

The Triermore Stud-bred colt was bought by BBA Ireland for €200,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2016 and although he didn't feature among the original entries, he earned an automatic slot for Saturday with a comfortable win over another Derby entrant, Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), in the G3 Airlie Stud Gallinule S. on Irish Guineas weekend. Shane Foley, who parted company with Halford at the end of last year after a number of years as stable jockey will maintain the successful partnership forged last time out and Halford is looking forward to the occasion.

“We're delighted with him and he is improving with racing, getting stronger and tougher with each run and he seems to be on an upward curve. He is a very easy horse to train and his prep has been straightforward. He is a good-moving horse, not over heavy, so the fast ground shouldn't inconvenience him,” he said.

Platinum Warrior carries the colours of the increasingly ubiquitous Chinese investor Yuesheng Zhang, and Halford is one of several Irish trainers benefitting from the owner's increased presence in Ireland.

“We are very lucky to have Mr Zhang on board and he has some nice horses with us. It will be a big day out for him as well, he is investing worldwide and he is looking forward to having a runner in an Irish Derby.”

An Irish Derby win would be extra special for Halford, though, who was born and reared nearby and whose late father was the track farrier.

The fact that Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is trading odds on to give Aidan O'Brien a 13th win in the €1.5-million contest does not worry Mark Johnston, who trains the horse that finished two places ahead of the favourite in the Epsom Derby and there would be no more appropriate winner of the Irish Derby, given the sponsors, than Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}). The Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum- owned colt is named after the code for Dubai's international airport (DXB), and his trainer reports him in fine fettle since his last time out defeat to Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).

“He's absolutely fine, he's had no issues at all and he is just about to go out for exercise,” Johnston said by phone. That exercise obviously went to plan as Dee Ex Bee was subsequently supplemented for the race later on Tuesday morning and when reflecting on his Epsom performance Johnston added. “I certainly wasn't surprised, though if someone had offered me a first three placing before the race I would have accepted that. He is a big horse and even though he ran well at Epsom I'm sure he will enjoy The Curragh more.”

Another overseas challenger that was supplemented on Tuesday was Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who has apparently bounced out well from his recent Royal Ascot success in the G2 King Edward VII S. Charlie Appleby's colt has been raised to a mark of 110 following his authoritative win over Rostropovich (Frankel {GB}) and while further progress will be required to continue his trainer's brilliant season Appleby would not have advised Sheikh Mohammed to supplement if that was not a strong probability.

“We are very happy with how Old Persian has come out of Royal Ascot, although we were taking it day by day as regards going for the Irish Derby. He did a routine canter on Monday and the signs are all very positive so we have decided to supplement and hopefully we will take our chance. It is a concern backing up so soon after Ascot, especially at this level, but as I say the signs are good that he has taken the race well,” he said.

While it is disappointing for Irish racegoers that the stable's Masar will not be aiming for a Derby double, the noises from the Godolphin camp suggest they could be sitting on a very able deputy. “We are pretty confident that we will be coming into this weekend with a horse that's going to be very competitive. We fully respect Saxon Warrior, Dee Ex Bee and the others but this horse has a very nice upward profile and we certainly haven't reached the ceiling of his ability,” Appleby added.

Harry Dunlop can remember his father John saddling Salsabil (GB) (Sadler's Wells) to win the Irish Derby in 1990 and he is hoping for a better performance from Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) compared to the colt's display at Epsom earlier this month, especially since he has secured the services of Frankie Dettori for Saturday. “Things didn't really go his way at Epsom, they went very quick early in the race and he got involved with that and it didn't work out for him. I'm looking forward to seeing him run back on a big galloping track, he seems to handle fast ground and we will probably ride him a little bit differently to last time,” Dunlop said.

If one was to excuse Knight To Behold's last run, his penultimate victory in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial over subsequent Royal Ascot winner Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) makes him a worthy challenger. The last word of the morning went to Aidan O'Brien, who was proving quite tricky to track down telephonically and when The Curragh's Evan Arkwright managed to connect with the Ballydoyle maestro the conversation soon switched to Saxon Warrior. Stage fright and babyishness were the two mitigating factors put forward by O'Brien for the colt's underwhelming effort at Epsom and while it wouldn't take a major leap of faith to see Saxon Warrior reestablish his status on Saturday, he still has something to prove. “It just didn't happen for him on the day at Epsom but we think he learned a lot from it and has grown up since,” O'Brien said. “The lads always do a great job at The Curragh providing beautiful ground and everyone knows it's one of the fairest tracks in the world so we are all really looking forward to Saturday,” he added.

Saxon Warrior will likely have a few stablemates for company as he makes the long trek across The Curragh towards the Derby start shortly before 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, with The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Rostropovich, Nelson (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Kew Gardens and Delano Roosevelt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) all left in at Tuesday's five-day stage. Completing the potential 14-strong field are the Dermot Weld trained Bandua (The Factor), Fozzy Stack's representative Carlo Biraghi (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Jim Bolger's Theobald (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}).