Trained by Jim Bolger, who sent out his sire New Approach to win the 2008
Dawn Approach added such prestigious titles as the Coventry at Royal Ascot,
“Because he settles so well and has such a good temperament and so much
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His 11 opponents hope that a combination of the distance, possible give in
the ground from this week’s rain, and end-to-end gallop will undo the favorite.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien fields a five-strong entry, led by the once-beaten
Battle of Marengo, who keeps Joseph O’Brien in the saddle. The winner of five
straight, the Galileo colt has plied the well-worn Ballydoyle path by taking
both the Ballysax and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial en route to Epsom.
“I’ve ridden Battle of Marengo in all of his three starts and I won each time
he’s run,” Joseph said. “I think he has a good chance. He’s tough, he’s genuine,
he tries hard and he stays well. He’s versatile in the way you can ride him and
he’s versatile as far as ground goes. I do think he’s a better horse on quicker
ground, but I think he has as good a chance as any.”
The upwardly-mobile Ruler of the World didn’t see a racecourse until April,
but the O’Brien colt has made up for lost time by winning both of his starts,
including a six-length rout in the Chester Vase. A Galileo half-brother to Duke
of Marmalade, he will try to buck two trends: no horse since the mighty Shergar
(1981) has turned the Chester Vase/Derby double, and it’s been 20 years since
the last unraced two-year-old went on to win at Epsom (Commander in Chief in
1993). He does have Ryan Moore in his corner.
Rounding out the Ballydoyle brigade are Mars, who was highly touted last year
but must improve off his sixth to Dawn Approach in the Guineas; Festive Cheer, a
close third in the Prix Hocquart; and Flying the Flag, well beaten in the French
and Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Either of the latter two, or both, could be
employed as pacemakers for the principals.
Two intriguing contenders invade from the Continent — the Andre
Fabre-trained Ocovango and Germany’s first-ever Derby runner, Chopin.
Ocovango is a perfect three-for-three after a fluent front-running score in the
Prix Greffulhe. The son of Monsun aims to emulate Pour Moi, who similarly won
the Greffulhe en route to Epsom glory for Fabre in 2011. His 20-year-old jockey,
Pierre-Charles Boudot, must navigate a sensible trip from his rail draw.
“He is a very well-balanced horse and he is not a horse who needs to be
covered up,” Fabre said. “This year, there is a horse who seems to be above
everybody else, but after that everybody has more or less the same chance. The
dam’s side has speed, so there is always a little doubt about staying the
distance but it is not a real concern.”
Chopin has won his past two for Andreas Wohler by a combined margin of 17
lengths. Following his conquest of the about 1 1/16-mile Dr. Busch-Memorial at
Krefeld, he was purchased by Qatar Racing Ltd., and his new connections
supplemented him to the Derby. The son of first-crop sire Santiago picks up
Jamie Spencer in his first major class test.
The Dante Stakes at York has traditionally been a key trial, yet
Libertarian’s visually unimpressive performance has left him a bit overlooked
here. Driven along and apparently going nowhere for much of the Dante, the
Elaine Burke trainee finally hit his best stride late. A son of New Approach out
of a stamina-laden Darshaan mare, Libertarian should improve over the added
ground in the Derby, if he can travel better at Epsom than he did at York. Burke
stands to become the first woman to train a Derby winner.
Galileo Rock was a useful third in the Sandown Classic Trial, where
Libertarian was a troubled fourth, and should be staying on late. The rank
outsiders are Mirsaale, who captured the 10-furlong conditions race billed as
the Derby Trial but has been beaten by lesser, and the 0-for-16 Ocean Applause.
Mirsaale’s trainer, James Tate, trusts in his pedigree.
“He’s in good form, but is obviously a big outsider,” Tate said. “He’s
probably improved a bit since Epsom — he’s a couple of kilos lighter — and
it’s all systems go. There’s only one Derby and the mile and a half at Epsom
will suit him.
“He’s definitely up to pattern-level ability and is by Sir Percy, who won the
Derby, and is a half-brother to Meeznah, who was second past the post in the
Oaks. He’s a well-balanced horse and flew down the hill in the trial.”
After outbattling Midday two years ago, Derrick Smith’s flagship performer
“He’s a favorite of mine, he’s tough, he tries hard and has loads of
Dunaden has shown his versatility when winning the 2011 Melbourne Cup and
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“Obviously, St Nicholas Abbey is the one to beat but, the way Dunaden won the
Caulfield Cup, I think he’ll give him a good race,” Sheikh Fahad said at the
“Breakfast with the Stars” morning at the track last week at which Dunaden was
galloped.
“He’s a much fitter and better horse than he showed last time. He is not a
two-miler — he won the Melbourne Cup with his class — he is a mile-and-a-half
horse rather than a stayer.
“He’s been our flagship horse for Pearl Bloodstock and he helped my brothers
get involved in racing. We set up Qatar Racing after that, so we owe the horse a
lot.”
Trainer Mikel Delzangles added, “I was surprised at how well he ran in the
Prix Ganay, because the pace was not as fast we thought it would be. He finished
very fast and came back very well from that. It looks like he is getter quicker
and he is very well — maybe even better than when he won the Melbourne Cup.”
After much rain during the week, the ground was drying Friday.
“We had five millimeters of rain early morning yesterday and the rest in a
few showers,” said Andrew Cooper, head of racing and clerk of the course at
Epsom.
“Twenty-four hours on, the ground has settled remarkably well — typical
Epsom in that respect. It is now good-to-soft over almost all the course. There
are still one or two softer bits, but equally there are one or two good bits.
“Epsom does not stay soft for long, with its chalk base. The ground will
continue to dry during the meeting.
“I would not be at all surprised if the first word in the going description
tomorrow is good.”
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