The Derby 2008

They took them down before racing today and haven't put them back up for some reason. They were top-price 20/1 about Alessandro Volta earlier though.
 
Their prices are back up, still at 20/1.

Tomorrow is D-Day for Washington Irving, it will be interesting to see how much confidence there is tomorrow. Bit of rain we got last night should make the ground perfect.
 
Lads have been relatively short about Kingdom of Naples all along ... significant? At the same time, they seem unmoved by AV and WI - when everyone else is shortening. Maybe I'm reading more into this then I should. Kingdom of Naples' maiden hasn't worked out. And traditionally I don't think O'Brien has sent his main contender for the Dante, Septimus being the best he's sent in recent years. But he was impressive on debut and has a nice mixture of speed and stamina in his pedigree. I'm tempted to take a chance at 20s.
 
To be honest, I think he's a far better bet for the Derby at 20's than Alessandro Volta is; he'll certainly be a lot shorter if he wins the Dante anyway.

That said, I think that if you put a gun to O'Brien's head, he would say Washington Iriving is Ballydoyle's main hope, at least at this moment in time.
 
That was really impressive, some turn of foot from the Weld horse.

Guaranteed to get the trip at Epsom if he runs?
 
Great day for Weld, just won the Guineas trial as well.


And no Casual Conquest is not in at Epsom....will he be supplimented or left off for the Irish Derby?
 
Sounds like they are keeping him for the French or Irish Derby.

So not so much an impressive performance with Epsom in mind, but one that rules out Washington Irving I guess.
 
Originally posted by Galileo@May 11 2008, 03:33 PM
Great day for Weld, just won the Guineas trial as well.
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Not only that, but with horse that had beaten Saorise Abu 2.5L's in an earlier trial at Leopardstown and returned 9/2 :eek: Oh dear... sounds like the old fishermans tale of the one that got away, given that she ran a 1L third to Natagora. iwht my atention focused on losing a little at lognchamp I failed to pick up on this one
 
Originally posted by Gareth Flynn@May 11 2008, 04:26 PM
FFS... is anyone going to bother turning up at Epsom?
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Well I've clocked him at 100.47, if I were Jim Bolger, I might be having second thoughts looking at the way the race is cutting up, and the fact that Casual Conquest appears to be heading to the Curragh. I wouldn't be too surprised if we see something not massively disimilar to last years spectacle of loads of horses running round in dark blue silks again and everyone trying to follow the head cap to work out which one you're on
 
I have the time being excellent too - similar to the performance that Dylan Thomas put up in the same race.
 
He was visually impressive alright, but would he have the tactical speed needed at Epsom? He was being niggled along half a mile out today.

The first two home in the 1,000 Guineas Trial looked to be pretty smart fillies. Pleasing comeback from Katiyra, though I thought she still looked a touch green in the straight.
 
How could you tell, trackside?

The cameraman/director, whichever, went in so tight on the leader it was impossible to know what the others were doing, even Sean Boyce apologised.

Did they show a different angle later?
 
The more each trial goes by without a clear-cut Epsom-bound winner, the more I think Coolmore are likely to stick Henry in.
 
Weld has a great line on the Ballydoyle horses. His two runners where physically more impressive than the O'Brien runners and the winner would be hard to beat at the Curragh on Derby day.

Carribean sunset is a lovely filly too, couldn't believe the price seeing as she'd beaten halfway to heaven and Saoirse abu just a month ago.
 
Kingdom Of Naples misses the Dante, according to today's Post, and goes instead for the Gallinule Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday week.

I'm coming round to Tajaaweed for the Derby. He recorded a decent time at Chester and whatever his pedigree says his style of running suggests very strongly that he'll be well suited by 12f.
 
Dante Field:

Centennial (IRE) J. H. M. Gosden
Frozen Fire (GER) A. P. O'Brien, Ireland
McCartney (GER) Saeed bin Suroor
Tartan Bearer (IRE) Sir Michael Stoute
Twice Over H. R. A. Cecil
Young Pretender (FR) Saeed bin Suroor
 
Bit of a forgotten horse, well backed last year for the Derby before disappointing in the Racingpost Trophy along with King Of Rome. Suppose it is somewhat encouraging that KOR has showed more this year.
 
Is it a negatve for Kingdom of Naples that he has been re-routed to the Gallinule? Wonder are Ballydoyle trying to swerve (for now, what with experience lacking) what looks a high class Dante field.
 
At this stage I keep going back to Curtain Call by default. He has a touch of class and more importantly is guaranteed to get the trip unlike plenty of these.
 
Can't see Curtain Call having the class to win it myself.

Interesting to hear that Washington Irving is still very much in the Ballydoyle Derby picture.

Tartan Bearer is an interesting one for Stoute. For up to now doesn't amount to much (then again neither did North Light's before he won the Dante!) but he's apparently well-regarded.
 
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