Lingfield Derby Trial

Ballydoyle's form in the Classic trials maintained its formidable momentum on Saturday with a one-two in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial. At the line, the 4-5 favourite and Ryan Moore's pick Puppet Master had a short head to spare over Stay True in the extended 11-furlong contest, with neither stablemate giving an inch. Camelot's Puppet Master, who had been fourth in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes and in the G3 Ballysax Stakes on his return, had been forced to battle his way past Stay True, one of the last crop...

Connections of the runners in Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches will be able to breathe a sigh of relief when they look around the ParisLongchamp paddock and discover that the Godolphin blue is nowhere to be seen. Their domination of the early-season Classics, on both sides of the Atlantic, had to end somewhere, though it may not be in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains which precedes the fillies' equivalent. The red-hot combination that is Charlie Appleby and William Buick will be represented there by last year's G2 Vintage Stakes winner...

   Sandwiched in between the Derby and Oaks trials of Chester and York, Lingfield stages its own prep races for both Epsom Classics on Saturday before Classic action unfolds again in France on Sunday. It was only four years ago that Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) revived the Listed Derby and Oaks Trials by doubling up on the first Friday and Saturday in June and with the major yards represented close inspection is required. In the Derby Trial, the two colts who went to...