News from Ballydoyle on Friday fueled a significant move in the antepost
betting for the June 5 Derby (Eng-G1) at Epsom. With jockey Johnny Murtagh
reporting that longtime favorite ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (Montjeu [Ire]) did not shine
as expected in his morning exercise, stablemate JAN VERMEER (Montjeu [Ire]) has
usurped his role at the top of the market.
“Johnny Murtagh rode St Nicholas Abbey this morning and thought he might not
have shown the same sparkle that he showed last Tuesday morning,” trainer Aidan
O’Brien said on the Ballydoyle page at coolmore.com.
“Therefore he won’t make up his mind what horse he rides in the
Derby until the middle of next week.”
St Nicholas Abbey, who capped his perfect juvenile season with a devastating
display in the Racing Post Trophy (Eng-G1), could manage only sixth in the Two
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) in his reappearance.
Jan Vermeer was also impressive in his two-year-old finale, a four-length
romp in the Criterium International (Fr-G1). After suffering a setback earlier
this season, he made his belated return in last Sunday’s Gallinule S. (Ire-G3),
where he scored a facile 1 3/4-length victory and propelled himself into the
Derby picture.
O’Brien had previously stated that Jan Vermeer could instead go to the June 6
Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (Fr-G1) at Chantilly, but Friday’s antepost
plunge strongly intimates that he’s Epsom-bound.
MIDAS TOUCH (Galileo [Ire]) has long been earmarked for the Derby and rates
as another possible option for Murtagh. Fourth to Jan Vermeer in the Criterium
International, he was a convincing winner of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
(Ire-G2) last out.
Rounding out O’Brien’s quartet still eligible for the Derby is the unbeaten
CAPE BLANCO (Galileo [Ire]), the smashing hero of the Dante S. (Eng-G2) in his
sophomore debut. He could be rerouted to the Prix du Jockey Club, however.