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| Investec Derby 2012 |
Epsom
Derby
[an error occurred while processing this directive] epsom derby 2012 /
Five Second Entries for 2012 Investec Derby Details were revealed yesterday of the five horses entered at the second entry stage for the 2012 Investec Derby, run over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 2. The Group One Classic offers a prize fund of at least £1.25 million.
The second entry stage provides connections who did not enter at the initial yearling stage the opportunity to add horses to the premier Classic at a cost of £8,000. The third and final opportunity to enter the Investec Derby comes at the supplementary entry stage on Monday, May 28, when the fee rises to £75,000. For the first time in 2012, the winner of the £50,000 Investec Derby Trial (run at the Investec Spring Meeting at Epsom Downs on Wednesday, April 25) will receive a wild-card entry into the Investec Derby, if not already holding an entry. Irish trainer John Oxx boasts an enviable record in the Investec Derby. The three runners he has saddled in the Classic have resulted in two victories (Sinndar in 2000 and Sea The Stars in 2009), as well as a third (Alamshar in 2003). The County Kildare trainer has six entries currently engaged in this year’s renewal including Akeed Mofeed, who was added at this week’s second entry stage. Owned by Jaber Abdullah, the Dubawi colt ran three times in Ireland last season which included a victory over seven furlongs in a Leopardstown maiden as well as a close second in the Group Two Beresford Stakes over a mile at the Curragh. Akeed Mofeed is 12/1 second favourite for the Investec Derby with William Hill, Official Betting Partner of the 2012 Investec Derby Festival. Oxx revealed: “The Investec Derby is certainly on Akeed Mofeed’s radar. “It’s early days yet - we’ll have to get him on the track first and go from there - but it had always been the plan to put him in at the second entry stage. “Everything has gone well with him over the winter. He has done particularly well and everything continued well right through the spring time. He has been working away and is not too far from his first run. “He has always worked well, he’s always looked a nice horse and he has shown us plenty at home so when he raced we expected him to do well. “We haven’t come to a decision about where he is going to start this season, but we would be leaning towards a 2000 Guineas trial. We want to start him off at a mile and give him a chance at that trip first and then we’ll think about the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. He has shown a bit of speed all right, but we will have to put it to the racecourse test. “He also has the Derrinstown Derby Trial as an option here at Leopardstown which would be a good follow up from the 2000 Guineas trial. You never know if they will get the Investec Derby trip until the day as there is always a doubt until they are put to the test.” David Lanigan, training from a new yard in Lambourn this season, has yet to have a runner in the Investec Derby but just doubled his entries to two in 2012 including the unbeaten Main Sequence, who was entered at the second entry stage. Owned by the Niarchos Family, the Aldebaran colt caused a 50/1 shock when winning on debut at Yarmouth over a mile in September before following up with an impressive victory in a nine-furlong nursery at Newmarket the following month. He is currently 50/1 with William Hill. Lanigan commented: “We have entered Main Sequence in the Investec Derby just to keep our options open. He has done well from two to three, he has strengthened up and done physically well over the winter. The Niarchos family are keen to have him in there as an option, but we will just have to see how we get on. “He is a horse I have always liked but, to be brutally honest, on his homework I thought he would run a nice race on debut and finish in the first four and he went and won it. He does his homework all right, but he is not a horse who is exuberant in his work - he is just workmanlike at home. “Obviously, on his second start you could take a lot more out of that than anything else and that is why we wanted to get him out again. We were on a fact-finding mission that day and we wanted to see where we were with him. It was a competitive nursery, so he couldn’t have done it any easier than he did it that day. He will certainly get further and we will just see how he comes on, but it was certainly encouraging to see him win like that, especially with the horses in behind him as it gives you a line to go on. “The handicapper put him on a mark of 89 after that - we will just have to see how he is and where we go. The horse will tell us when he is ready and we will try and get him out within the next three weeks. I will sit down with the owners and discuss a plan for him depending on what races there are to go for. “On his homework and the way he won last year - he was going away at the end - you would think a mile and a quarter would have suited him then. There is plenty of stamina on the dam’s side and to be honest my own gut feeling is that he won’t have any problem getting the mile and a half this year.” Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni is responsible for two of the second entries - Mandaean and Swedish Sailor. The duo are both 25/1 chances with William Hill. Mandaean won both his starts in France last year, when he was trained by Andre Fabre, culminating with a victory in the final Group One race of the European season, the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in November. Swedish Sailor was an impressive victor on his only start, taking a mile in maiden at Yarmouth. The fifth second entry is the Aga Khan-owned Kesampour. Trained in France by Mikel Delzangles, the King’s Best colt is unbeaten in three starts, most recently registering a comfortable victory in an 11-furlong Listed contest at Saint-Cloud on April 1. He is a 25/1 chance with William Hill, Official Betting Partner of the 2012 Investec Derby Festival. The next scratchings deadline for the Investec Derby is on Friday, May 18, at the conclusion of the trials’ season.
Investec Derby 2000 Guineas & Derby double: Camelot 7/1 William Hill spokeswoman Lucy Rhodes said: “Camelot was a short-priced favourite after his impressive display in the Racing Post Trophy and, with his price continuing to contract throughout the winter months, punters clearly don’t seem concerned about another potential St Nicholas Abbey situation. “However, there is a long way to go, with numerous key trials en-route to Investec Derby glory, where some exciting challengers will undoubtedly spring to prominence.”
THE FIVE SECOND ENTRIES FOR THE 2012 INVESTEC DERBY AKEED MOFEED b c Dubawi (IRE) - Wonder Why (GER) (Tiger Hill (IRE)) Form: 412- Owner: Jaber Abdullah Trainer: John Oxx IRE Breeder: Rabbah Bloodstock Limited Hailing from the family of French Derby winner Hernando and the Group One scorer Johann Quatz, Akeed Mofeed made an eye-catching debut at Leopardstown on August 4 last year when staying on well to take fourth in a seven-furlong maiden after a tardy start. He also dwelt at the start on his next outing in maiden company on September 3, again over seven furlongs at Leopardstown, before coming through strongly to take up the running approaching the final furlong to score easily be five lengths. He started 5/6 favourite for his final run of 2011 in the mile Group Two Beresford Stakes, run on heavy ground at the Curragh on September 25. Despite staying on well close home, he went down by half a length to the Aidan O’Brien-trained David Livingston. Race Record: Starts: 3; 1st: 1; 2nd: 1: 3rd:- Win & Place Prize Money: £26,259
KESAMPOUR (FR) ch c King´s Best (USA) - Kasatana (IRE) (Hernando (FR) Form: 11-1 Owner: H H Aga Khan Trainer: Mikel Delzangles FR Breeder: H H Aga Khan Unbeaten in three starts, Kesampour was home-bred by the Aga Khan and is from a stamina-packed family that includes the Group race winners Kassani and Kassana as well as Irish St Leger winner Kastoria and 1988 Derby hero Kahyasi. He made his debut at Saint-Cloud on October 30, winning a mile contest for unraced horses by a length and a half. His only other juvenile start saw him step up to 10 furlongs for a conditions event back at Saint-Cloud on November 22, when he was the impressive five-length winner. Saint-Cloud was the venue for his seasonal return on April 1, when he was successful by two lengths in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet over 11 furlongs. After his latest success, trainer Mikel Delzangles stated that Kesampour could next run in the Prix Greffulhe - a race won by last year’s Investec Derby Pour Moi en route to Epsom Downs. His sire King’s Best was responsible for the 2010 Investec Derby hero Workforce. Race Record: Starts: 3; 1st: 3; 2nd: -: 3rd:- Win & Place Prize Money: £47,917
MAIN SEQUENCE (USA) ch c Aldebaran (USA) - Ikat (IRE) (Pivotal) Form: 11- Owner: Niarchos Family Trainer: David Lanigan Breeder: Flaxman Holdings Ltd The home-bred Main Sequence is from the family of 2007 Oaks heroine Light Shift and caused a 50/1 shock on his debut when landing a mile maiden at Yarmouth on September 15. Despite running very green, he showed a willing attitude and quickened up impressively in the final furlong to score by an ultimately comfortable length and a quarter. He showed that shock success was certainly no fluke at Newmarket on October 19, when he was the comfortable three and a quarter length winner of a nine-furlong nursery. Race Record: Starts: 2; 1st: 2; 2nd: -: 3rd:- Win & Place Prize Money: £7,347
MANDAEAN b c Manduro (GER) - Summertime Legacy (Darshaan) Form: 11- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Mahmood Al Zarooni Breeder: Darley From the first crop of Manduro, Mandaean is a half-brother to Group One winner Wavering and on his dam-side is related to the 1982 Derby hero Golden Fleece. Last season he was under the care of Andre Fabre in France and won on both his starts in the colours of Godolphin France. His debut came in a nine-furlong contest for unraced horses at Longchamp on October 16, when he was the comfortable three-length winner. On his only other subsequent start, he was pitched in at the highest level for the final Group One contest of the European season, the Criterium de Saint-Cloud on November 12. Partnered once again by Maxime Guyon, he was always in a handy position and, despite hanging in the straight, scored comfortably by two and a half lengths. For the 2012 campaign, he joins trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni in Newmarket. Race Record: Starts: 2; 1st: 2; 2nd: -: 3rd:- Win & Place Prize Money: £133,491
SWEDISH SAILOR b c Monsun (GER) - Epitome (IRE) (Nashwan (USA)) Form: 1- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Mahmood Al Zarooni Breeder: Darley Swedish Sailor is a half-brother to Exemplary, a multiple scorer between 10 furlongs and two miles, as well Synopsis, a Group Three-winning filly over a mile and a half in France. The son of Monsun was successful on his sole appearance of 2011 in a mile maiden at Yarmouth on October 25. Making nearly all the running, he was pushed out by Frankie Dettori for a comfortable five-length victory. Race Record: Starts: 1; 1st: 1; 2nd: -: 3rd:- Win & Place Prize Money: £2,911 |
