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| Epsom Derby Entries - 2009 |
Epsom
Derby
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Eight Second Entries Received for 2009 Derby Including US Horse Eight horses have been entered at the second entry for the 2009 Derby, which has prize money of £1.25 million, details of which are revealed today. The octet paid £8,000 each to join those entries made at the yearling stage back in December, 2007. The final opportunity to enter the Derby is at the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, June 1, when there is a £75,000 supplementary entry stage for the Classic run at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 6. Wolf Prince was the last American-trained horse to contest the Derby, finishing eighth for Michael Dickinson 16 years ago. There is a now a chance that a horse from ‘across the pond’ could run in the 2009 Derby with Kentucky handler Kenny McPeek having made a second entry for Theregoesjojo. The Brahms colt has already contested a Derby, having finished third in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream last time out on March 28 and he is due to line up the Grade One Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland this Saturday, April 11. Kenny McPeek said today: “Theregoesjojo is ready to run ahead of the Bluegrass Stakes. I thought that his run in the Florida Derby was a useful race for him - I still think that he still has a bit of improvement to come and he’s getting there. He’s been working well and looks in great shape at the moment. “The two horses that beat him in that race were the two major contenders for the Kentucky Derby until Quality Road sustained a quarter-crack to his hoof and we needed that race. I probably babied him a bit over the winter and have been very conservative with his programme because we wanted him fresh for a spring campaign. “I think that my colt is more of a finesse horse - he’s a daisy-cutter and he doesn’t grind through the dirt. He’s not necessarily as powerful as some of the top dirt performers and so I am excited about seeing how he copes with Polytrack on Saturday and trying him on turf. “It will also be interesting to see how he gets on against Mafaaz and it will give us some idea of how he compares against a useful European colt. “There’s obviously the Kentucky Derby (May 2) to think about but even if he ran at Churchill Downs, I don’t think that we would run him in the Preakness just two weeks later, so Epsom could be a better option. “Alternatively, if he doesn’t fire on Saturday, then we could run him on turf at Churchill Downs in the Grade Three Crown Royal Stakes on Kentucky Oaks Day (May 1) but he would have to win that race to come over to Epsom. “He was third in a Grade One on his first attempt at two turns and I have no doubt that he will get the nine furlongs again this weekend. A mile and a half is a bit of an unknown but if we can get him settled then I would be hopeful of getting the extra distance. “The one thing I am not sure of is who would ride him at Epsom. Kent Desormeaux is my main rider and Calvin Borel is in the plate on Saturday but I would be looking for someone who knows the course well and who has ridden in the race before.” Five of the eight second entries are supplied by the Maktoum family’s Godolphin operation. These include the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes winner Shaweel, Timeform Tattersalls Million fourth Liberation, German Group Three scorer Peligroso as well as two unexposed types in Chock A Block and Tynedale, who both won in France last year. When combined with its entries made at the yearling stage, Godolphin now has 14 possible starters for the £1.25 million contest on June 6. Ballymacoll Stud, which has continued the racing and breeding operations of the late Lord Weinstock, won the 2004 Derby with North Light and went very close to claiming a second victory last year when Tartan Bearer only found New Approach half a length too good. The County Meath-based stud has made a second entry for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Glass Harmonium, who shaped with considerable promise on his two starts in 2008 and comes from the family of Hard Top and Conduit. The Verglas colt joins two entries made by Ballymacoll at the initial entry stage, Saptapadi and Thespis Of Icaria. Completing the second entries is the John Gosden-trained Debussy, who runs in the colours of last year’s winning owner Princess Haya of Jordan. The son of Diesis has already run this year, having won a Lingfield maiden in facile fashion on March 21.
THE 2009 DERBY Form Horse Owner Trainer 05-2 ABOVE AVERAGE (IRE) Jack Hanson Barry Hills 140 entries go forward THE FOLLOWING SIX HORSES HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED: CRYSTAL CELEBRE (IRE), HYDRANT, INDEPENDENCE HALL (USA), MAIMONIDES, RISING STAR, WAR (IRE)
THE EIGHT SECOND ENTRIES FOR THE 2009 DERBY CHOCK A BLOCK (IRE) The once-raced Chock A Block is the third foal of Grade One E P Taylor Stakes heroine Choc Ice and was led out not sold at 240,000 guineas at Tattersalls in 2007. The grey son of Dalakhani raced last season in the colours of his joint-breeder Richard Strauss and was trained by Robert Collet in France. He was successful on his sole appearance, landing the nine-furlong Prix des Feuillants at Longchamp on October 26 by an easy four lengths. He was subsequently sold to Godolphin.
DEBUSSY (IRE) The first foal of the Group Three-placed Opera Comique, Debussy is from the family of 1990 King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Belmez. He made his debut on the Polytrack at Wolverhampton on November 12, showing promise when fourth in a seven-furlong maiden. He clearly relished the step up to 10 furlongs on his reappearance when an impressive nine-length winner of a Lingfield maiden on Polytrack on March 21, despite flashing his tail and drifting right in the final furlong.
GLASS HARMONIUM (IRE) Home-bred by Ballymacoll Stud, Glass Harmonium is a half-brother to Holda, who won her only start at Newmarket over seven furlongs in 2005, and is from the same family as Great Voltigeur Stakes winner Hard Top and last year’s St Leger victor Conduit. The Verglas colt made his debut at Sandown on August 29, when despite showing his experience he put up an eye-catching performance to finish a close seventh, beaten just under five lengths. Remaining at seven furlongs for his next outing, he won a maiden at Yarmouth on September 17 in authoritative fashion by four lengths.
LIBERATION (IRE) A half-brother to the 2000 King Edward VII Stakes winner Subtle Power, Liberation was purchased by John Ferguson for 240,000 guineas at Tattersalls in 2007. Last season he raced in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and was trained by Mark Johnston. After a debut third over seven furlongs at Sandown in August, he won a maiden at Brighton the following month before improving again to win at competitive nursery at the Ascot Festival later in September, when he was most impressive and scored by five lengths. On the basis of that run he was sent off the 2/1 favourite for the inaugural Tattersalls Timeform Million at Newmarket in October and ran well to finish fourth to Donativum. He subsequently became part of the Godolphin team and finished second on his reappearance behind stablemate City Style in a conditions race over just short of a mile at Nad Al Sheba on March 5.
PELIGROSO (FR) Trained in Germany by Mario Hofer in 2008, Peligroso has been purchased by Godolphin for the 2009 season. His debut came at Longchamp on October 19, when he finished a close third in a competitive 11-runner race for unraced horses. Next time out he duly built on that promise when successful in the Group Three Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen at Krefeld, Germany, on November 9 when he defeated stablemate Mantoro by four and a half lengths, despite unseating his jockey and running loose before the start of the race.
SHAWEEL (GB) Initially sold for 26,000 guineas as a foal to Peter Doyle at Tattersalls in 2006, Shawell was subsequently sold for 120,000 guineas as a yearling to Shadwell. He was owned by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and trained by Mark Johnston for his juvenile career. A debut third at York in May behind Lord Shanakill was followed by an easy success at Ayr later in the month. He then headed to the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot but could only finish eighth. Two good efforts in Group Two company came next, when Shaweel finished third in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeeting and then a close fifth in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood. He duly gained a deserved Pattern race success when winning the rescheduled Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at Newbury on August 22, proving a length and a half too strong for Master Noverre. He then came agonisingly close to winning the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh on September 14, when beaten a short-head by Mastercraftsman. His season ended with a close fourth in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October before he subsequently joined Godolphin.
THEREGOESJOJO (USA) Theregoesjojo could become the first American-trained horse to line up in the Derby since Michael Dickinson saddled Wolf Prince to finish eighth in 1993. Purchased by Kenny McPeek for $42,000 at Fasig-Tipton in 2007, Thegoesjojo made a successful debut in a five-furlong dirt maiden at Churchill Downs in May, 2008, before finishing fourth at the same course over a furlong further in the Grade Three Bashford Manor Stakes on dirt in July. This year began with victory in a seven-furlong dirt allowance race at Gulfstream on January 10 before he subsequently finished second in the Grade Two Fountain Of Youth Stakes, again on the dirt at Gulfstream, over a mile on February 10. The colt’s latest outing saw him stepped up in trip and class when he contest the Grade One Florida Derby over nine furlongs on dirt at Gulfstream on March 28. He finished third in the contest, beaten just under eight lengths.
TYNEDALE (FR) Sold for 55,000 euros as a foal but unable to find a buyer when re-offered as a yearling, Tynedale is a half-brother to the mare Riche Americaine, a Listed winner in France. Last season he was trained in France by Richard Gibson and after coming home eighth on his debut at Deauville in August, won over a mile on heavy ground at Vichy in September. His two-year-old season ended with an eye-catching six-length triumph over a mile at Longchamp on October 14 and he has subsequently been purchased by Godolphin. |
