The Derby

EC1 said:
got to be honest Gal..just on the day..i couldn't take much out of the race bar the winner..others never moved when went after the leader..he is different gravy to his peers
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The same could have been said of Workforce after his Dante run - indeed it was. Horses are not machines - if things do not go right for them they are likely to perform someway below their best.

Rewilding was a horse I was going to keep any eye on throughout the race (after some bullish comments on here) but I stopped looking at him after two furlongs as I thought he was not going a yard on the track - needless to sat I was surprised in the last half furlong to see him taking third.

As for the Ballydoyle horses, we have seen them leave their Epsom for a long way behind them at The Curragh and elsewhere as the season progresses - so for sure there are some to watch out for. Workforce cannot run in all the races. Midas Touch did get very warm beforehand.

I would have thought JV would go to The Curragh - asssuming all is well with him. Imagine Cape Blanco will surely be on the shortlist if all goes well tomorrow too.
 
How I wish horse racing was so different and we could look forward to the propect of Workforce lining up against Sea The Stars later in the summer. Very impressive performance.
 
Galileo said:
Rewilding looks very light in terms of condition - is he always like that?
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He looked awful - had run up very light IMO. I thought he looked nice on his last start but then he'd only been with Godawful for 2 weeks.

Seriously impressed by both Workforce & Moore today. Other jocks were half asleep to give pacemaker so much rein. But WF went past a horse that wasn't stopping like a very very good horse. On looks and temperament, he has so much scope. (and yes I did back him - even posted I fancied him on FF BEFORE the race this time!:lol:).
 
J Alfred Prufrock said:
It'll be interesting to see what the Americans can come up with. Arguably the best of their classic generation that is still in training goes in the Belmont Stakes tonight (11:32 on ATR). Ice Box was second in the Kentucky Derby despite getting stopped in his tracks. Then again, they do not seem up to all that much as a group of horses.
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It rather looks as if the Americans have got diddly squat in the 3yo middle-distance male division while Eskendereya is on the sidelines.
 
Galileo said:
The same could have been said of Workforce after his Dante run - indeed it was. Horses are not machines - if things do not go right for them they are likely to perform someway below their best.
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Absolutely. Fascinating to look back and wonder how this horse would have run in the Guineas if he'd been a bit more forward.

Can't wait to see him take on RVW and Fame & Glory and see how he might have matched up against Sea the Stars.
 
J Alfred Prufrock said:
It rather looks as if the Americans have got diddly squat in the 3yo middle-distance male division while Eskendereya is on the sidelines.
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Eskendereya has been retired Pruf. They look much of a muchness this year with Drosselmayer taking the Belmont with a late run, Super Saver didn't run so maybe a return to 10f in the Haskell will suit him.

Also be interesting to see Uptowncharlybrown back down in trip too - he was a doubtful stayer in many peoples eyes last night having recorded his stakes wins at 7f and below but with new tactics employed and ridden handy he ran well enough in fifth.
 
I've only had a very cursory glance at the full result and would start looking at a form figure of at least 128 but I think that is a worst-case scenario. I suspect once I've got the times etc to hand I'll revise it up the way, possibly quite a bit.
 
Fantastic performance and great to see such a decisive and top class Derby winner - great for racing.

Agree with the comments about Rewilding - IF trained correctly, he should prove to be the second best horse from the race, but this isn't the first time I've seen/heard of Godolphin horses being light behind/very hard trained - can anyone shed any light on this?

Fair dues to Stoute - his Derby record is almost second to none. I loved his hat raising celebration at the end!
 
I thought Murtagh seemed keen to hold on to Jan Vermeer for some reason. I would have ridden him more aggressively but I don't think it made much difference because when Workforce kicked nothing had any answers. The only horse which really picked up in the straight was rewilding but he was all over the shop coming down the hill. I think there is more to come from him and he may be one of the few from this race who will be able to compete with Workforce over 1m4f. JV may be able to but they will need to ride him handy.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Eskendereya has been retired Pruf. They look much of a muchness this year with Drosselmayer taking the Belmont with a late run, Super Saver didn't run so maybe a return to 10f in the Haskell will suit him.

Also be interesting to see Uptowncharlybrown back down in trip too - he was a doubtful stayer in many peoples eyes last night having recorded his stakes wins at 7f and below but with new tactics employed and ridden handy he ran well enough in fifth.
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Uptowncharlybrown was dqed and place last because he lost an 8lb. weight pad about 7 furlongs from the finish.
 
Looks like the plan for Workforce is to stay at 12f; the Irish Derby if he's recovered in time, or the King George otherwise.
 
Stoute always seems to send his horses to the Arc as an afterthought - which is probably the main reason he's never won the race. Which means Fame & Glory should be the clear market leader.
 
Euronymous said:
Stoute always seems to send his horses to the Arc as an afterthought - which is probably the main reason he's never won the race. Which means Fame & Glory should be the clear market leader.
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I'd disagree - Fame & Glory will have had a very busy season by the time the Arc comes round which must militate against his chances.
 
Galileo said:
Get the impression they will skip the Irish Derby. Big big effort at Epsom followed by a trip to Ireland is probably not ideal.
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I would go to Ireland rather than the King George,

Galileo, High Chaparral, Sinndar, Sharastani and many others went and it proved very good,

I would run Irish Derby ,Niel and Arc.
 
rorydelargy said:
I'd disagree - Fame & Glory will have had a very busy season by the time the Arc comes round which must militate against his chances.
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I've backed him in the hope he'll be given a rest now until maybe the International or the Irish Champion. Ascot won't suit and they have RVW for the Eclipse.
 
Irish Stamp said:
Eskendereya has been retired Pruf. They look much of a muchness this year with Drosselmayer taking the Belmont with a late run, Super Saver didn't run so maybe a return to 10f in the Haskell will suit him.

Also be interesting to see Uptowncharlybrown back down in trip too - he was a doubtful stayer in many peoples eyes last night having recorded his stakes wins at 7f and below but with new tactics employed and ridden handy he ran well enough in fifth.
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Haskell is 9f. maybe you are thinking of the Travers?

Today's French Derby winner will go on to emulate his grand dad and beat this year's crop of American 3yo in the Breeder's Cup Classic at Churchill in Nov, only to get beaten by Zenyatta's nose.
You heard it here first.
 
Apart from being brilliant Derby winners from the last 10 years, what else do High Chaparral, Authorized and Workforce have in common?
 
Mickey the Marcher said:
Haskell is 9f. maybe you are thinking of the Travers?

Today's French Derby winner will go on to emulate his grand dad and beat this year's crop of American 3yo in the Breeder's Cup Classic at Churchill in Nov, only to get beaten by Zenyatta's nose.
You heard it here first.
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That's the one Mickey - always get those two mixed up. Travers generally the next step for a top East Coast 3yo - interesting to see who turns up in the Travers/Haskell and Pacific Classic this year though, not exactly a great depth to US 10f horses at the moment.
 
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