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| Investec Derby 2011 |
Epsom
Derby
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Pour Moi Pleases Fabre at Epsom Ahead of Derby Tilt Breakfast With The Stars yesterday morning (May 26) at Epsom Downs saw two leading contenders for Britain’s premier Classic, the Investec Derby, work on the course nine days before their biggest tests on June 4. Pour Moi, trained in France by Andre Fabre for a Coolmore partnership consisting of Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, worked over 10 furlongs under big-race pilot Mickael Barzalona at 8.30am with a stable companion O’Kelly Hammer who led the work at a good pace initially before slowing down at the top of the hill and then quickening up in the straight. Pour Moi, impressive winner of the 10-furlong Prix Greffulhe on May 7 at Saint-Cloud on his fourth start, joined O’Kelly Hammer, with Maxime Guyon up, one and a half furlongs from the winning post and went clear in the final furlong. Fabre commented in an interview with Breakfast With The Stars presenter Clare Balding afterwards: “Pour Moi is a relatively inexperienced horse. This was a good occasion to give him the experience of travelling and show him the track which is in beautiful condition I must say. “Everything has gone well today - I am quite happy. He is a horse who sweats every day like that and it does not worry him at all. He enjoyed coming down the hill, he enjoyed the turn and he enjoyed everything.” Questioned about his disappointing Derby record (best placing fifth from nine runners) he replied: “Are you saying my Derby runners were a disaster so far? Actually I think Pour Moi is the best chance I have ever had here. He is a good horse, a very good horse. “We don’t have much time to judge horses so it is a feeling I have, it is the horse’s conformation, his pedigree, the way he won first time this year - all those are indications but now he has to prove it on the track. I must say I am sending love to him. “I intend to be unpopular in beating Her Majesty’s horse (Carlton House).” Barzalona, having his first experience of Epsom on Pour Moi, was questioned afterwards by Nick Luck with the help of an interpreter. The 19-year-old French jockey, who only started riding in Britain this year and has had five wins from just nine rides in this country, said: “Like the horse, I discovered the track this morning and we had a good chance to look around and get a feel of the course and he worked well. “Obviously, the track is not flat but if you have a good horse it does not really matter. He has matured with each run and I am hopeful. “My preparation will be normal, just like for any other race. Racing is very different here in England because the pace is more regular than in France and in general the best horse wins.”
He added: “He is also a very good horse and has come on for each race.” Earlier in the morning, QIPCO 2000 Guineas third Native Khan, with stable companion Satwa Laird, had a spin from just before the nine-furlong pole but at a much steadier pace. Satwa Laird, with Adrian McCarthy up, led the Kieren Fallon-ridden Native Khan, 12/1 with William Hill Ed Dunlop, their trainer, declared: “We wanted to see how Native Khan behaved last night in the paddock and he was nice and relaxed - he got a bit boisterous in the Craven Stakes which is why we have been practising a bit. “His form is quite good - he has won two Group races and finished third in the Guineas - whether he will stay a mile and a half, we will see. He is growing up mentally, looks more of staying horse than a miler and we are very excited. “Kieren has made as a firm a commitment as he ever makes. Of course, we want to win and we don’t want anybody else to win apart from the Queen. We are very lucky to be in the race - it will be a great day. “We came here to make things easier on Derby Day - he has come through today well and hopefully he will come through Derby Day well. There is no pressure at all and we hope for the best.”
The Street Cry colt, a gift from Sheikh Mohammed as a yearling, worked well yesterday at Newmarket. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute, interviewed by telephone, said: “It was a very satisfactory work yesterday - I was very happy with it. His work has been good all year. “He has a got a grand temperament, good balance, is a very good mover, an easy horse to train and has a good turn of foot. “The Dante was an inconclusive race as the pace was slow and he could not do anything more than he did do. I would a have preferred a good even pace and truer-run race. “We are happy with our fellow. He is a very short price for what he has done but we understand why. I am very hopeful that he has the right credentials - I just hope he is good enough. “So many people do want him to win, unfortunately these things don’t often happen.” The Queen has yet to win the Derby, coming closest with the first of her nine runners in the Classic, Aureole who finished second in 1953, and her racing manager John Warren commented: “It is hugely exciting. “Her real passion and pleasure is the development and breeding of the stock - she has a routine every spring, looking at the foals and the development of the yearlings.” He related how Carlton House still looked like he needed to fill out his frame during the winter and continued: “The horse was going to run in the Sandown Derby trial and Sir Michael wanted to get two runs into him before the Derby. At the five-day stage, the trainer rang me and said I am going to pull the horse out of the race and do it properly by going straight to the Dante. “That is when I thought he was actually training the horse to win the Derby. That was quite an exciting turning point. “The Queen came to see the horse two weeks before the Dante and again there were still a few angles that Carlton House had not quite filled but in the paddock on the day of the Dante I was really thrilled with the horse and I thought he had really come on a lot. “When I saw the horse yesterday, I thought he had done better again so he is really going the right way - this is typical of the way that Michael trains the horses. “Yesterday Carlton House smoothly went clear and it looked a nice interesting bit of work. At breakfast, Ryan Moore said ‘crikey we went quick, he has so much speed’ - the horse finds it easy. “If he is a good horse, you want him to beat good horses - you don’t want it to be too easy - one wants him to be the genuine McCoy, not a horse who happened to win the Derby because it was a weak race that year. “Of course, the Derby is the big race at the moment and with Investec behind it is really brilliant for the industry and the sport, but we also hope Carlton House will keep going on and be fantastic horse for the Queen to enjoy, considering that she has put 59 years of thought and process into a sport we all love. So it is fingers crossed.”
Ocean War will represent Godolphin in the Investec Derby. Simon Crisford, the Godolphin racing manager, said: "I think we are going to go with Ocean War - that is the plan at the moment. "We are very excited about running Ocean War in the Investec Derby - he is in tremendous condition and has progressed extremely well over his last two races. "We really believe that a mile and half around Epsom will suit him. Frankie Dettori takes the ride. "Casamento will be confirmed at the five-day for the Investec Derby but the plan is to go for the Prix Du Jockey Club. He will only be left in the Investec Derby as a precautionary measure. “Genius Beast will remain in the Investec Derby as well on Monday, also as a precautionary measure, but we are looking at the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot for him.” Ocean War, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, has been successful on two of his three starts. He won well at Newmarket last time out in the Makfi Newmarket Stakes, a Listed race over 10 furlongs, on April 30.
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