David Elsworth purchased Salford Mill for 45,000 guineas at Tattersalls in October, 2005. The strapping colt made his belated racecourse debut in the colours of Tony Thompson at Lingfield on December 19, 2006, when he caught the eyes of race watchers with a late flourish under Marc Halford that saw him finish two and a half lengths second to Grande Caiman. That debut in a mile maiden was all the more notable given that he had been struck into behind during the race. Salford Mill made a rapid recovery from his exertions and made a winning return to Lingfield’s Polytrack on January 6 when, sent off the 2/7 favourite, he clearly relished the step up to 10-furlongs as he scored a comfortable two-length victory over Jocheski. His next start came on turf in the nine-furlong Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on April 18. Held up off the pace by Ted Durcan, Salford Mill ran a race of huge promise in finishing a head runner-up to Petara Bay. Kerrin McEvoy took the ride for the colt’s latest effort in the Listed Newmarket Stakes back at Newmarket, when a return to 10 furlongs saw him defeat a field of well-regarded rivals. Salford Mill made progress two furlongs out before taking the lead at the distance and striding clear for a length and a quarter success over the Aidan O’Brien-trained Acapulco, with Godolphin’s Eastern Anthem a further length away in third. The son of the 1997 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, Peintre Celebre, is out of the Listed-placed Razana and is a half-brother to Ovambo, a winner over 12 furlongs and Group Three placed.
Race Record: Starts: 4; Wins: 2; 2nd: 2; 3rd: 0; Win & Place Prize Money: £26,938.

Tony Thompson
Tony Thompson, who works in the paper recycling business with his headquarters located in Newmarket, has his horses with David Elsworth at present although in the past he has also had horses in training with Henrietta Knight, Jeff Pearce and Geoff Wragg. His Salford Express was the impressive winner of the 1999 Dante Stakes at York and started 12/1 for the Vodafone Derby but ran a disappointing race at Epsom Downs, coming home a well-beaten 14th behind Oath. He was also the original owner of Salford City, fifth behind North Light in the 2004 Vodafone Derby, although by the time the colt ran at Epsom Downs he had been sold to Michael Tabor. The Salford part of the horse’s name originates from Thompson’s interest as a collector of the works of L S Lowry, the North West-based artist specialising in Lancashire industrial scenes with the famous “Matchstick Men”.

Vodafone Derby Record: 1999 Salford Express (14th)

David Elsworth
David Elsworth was born on December 12, 1939, and first became involved in racing as a jump jockey, riding for a number of stables including those of Toby Balding and Alec Kilpatrick. Success in the saddle was limited, but it was a different exercise when he turned to training after going through some lean years which included at one stage selling from a stall in Devizes market. When he was acting as assistant to Ricky Vallance, he played a big part in the successes of Red Candle in the Hennessy and Mackeson Gold Cups. He set up on his own in 1978/9 and had his first winner with Fortune Cookie that season, but it was not too long before he started to train his best-known horse. This was the grey steeplechaser Desert Orchid, winner of a record four King George VI Chases at Kempton as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and many other races in his exhilarating, front-running style. Desert Orchid died at the grand old age of 27 in 2006. Elsworth has also enjoyed top level jumping wins with Barnbrook Again, Combs Ditch, Floyd and Oh So Risky, and among his many good results on the Flat have been the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Juddmonte International and the Champion Stakes with In The Groove, the Jersey Stakes with Indian Ridge and the Racing Post Trophy with Seattle Rhyme. His most popular Flat performer was the giant chestnut Persian Punch, a great favourite of racegoers with his courageous performances including three wins in the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket. Many of Elsworth’s winners came when he was based at Whitsbury Manor in Hampshire, and he made no secret about how much he missed that place when circumstances forced him to move to Whitcombe Manor in Dorset in the early 90s. He returned to Whitsbury in 1996 but moved to Egerton House Stables in Newmarket before the start of the 2006 season. He has yet to win a British Classic and once quipped: “I have got a bit of an ego and I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be nice to get a Classic on the scoresheet.”

Vodafone Derby Record: 1982 Tidworth Tattoo (11th), 1984 Mighty Flutter (3rd), 1990 Bookcase (13th), 1992 Well Saddled (12th), 1994 Darkwood Bay (22nd), 1999 Salford Express (14th), 2003 Norse Dancer (4th), 2004 Salford City (5th), Massif Centrale (11th); 2005 The Geezer (8th); 2006 Snoqualmie Boy (16th)

Ted Durcan
Born in Co Mayo, Ireland, on February 25, 1973, Ted Durcan hailed from a family of lawyers and went to a boarding school in Naas before becoming apprenticed to Jim Bolger for six years, spending two years as a work rider and sharing a house with Tony McCoy and leading Irish trainer David Wachman. He served the final year of his apprenticeship in Britain with Jack Berry at Cockerham in Lancashire and he has gone on to enjoy considerable success in Dubai where he has been champion jockey six times. He rode for the first time in Dubai in the 1997-98 season, as number two rider behind Paul Eddery at Paddy Rudkin’s stable, and impressed Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who offered him a retainer for the 1999/2000 season when he became champion rider for the first time with 58 successes, with wins including the Godolphin Mile on Conflict and Dubai Duty Free on Rhythm Band. Durcan, whose wife Sue works for Godolphin, enjoyed his best season in Britain in 2006 with 71 wins. He still rides for Mick Channon, although he was somewhat controversially jocked off the Jaber Abdullah owned Flashy Wings last season, and indeed it was Channon who provided Durcan with his first two Royal Ascot wins in 2005 with Flashy Wings and Championship Point, as well as the Group One Prix Morny victor Silca’s Sister. This year he has ridden a significant number of horses trained by Henry Cecil. He also rides for Godolphin. Durcan has also won the Group One Sprint Cup at Haydock twice for trainer Tim Easterby - on Pipalong in 2000 and Somnus in 2003. Durcan is set to partner Vodafone Oaks contender Light Shift, trained by Henry Cecil and commented in The Independent earlier this week: “Epsom is something everyone wants to be part of, and to have a pair of rides like these makes the hard work through the rest of the year seem worthwhile. There are 100 other lads that could ride them equally well and I feel very privileged.”

Vodafone Derby Record: 2003 Franklins Gardens (14th); 2006 Championship Point (11th)