UK RACE COMMENTARY5 Horses Added To Derby Entries At 2nd Forfiet Stage
A total of five horses have been added to the Vodafone Derby at the second entry stage, details of which were revealed on Wednesday, April 4.The second entry stage enables horses that were not entered at the yearling stage to be added to the Vodafone Derby at a cost of £8,000.
Two of the second entries hail from the Maktoum family's Godolphin operation. Dijeer won two of his four starts last season when in the care of Michael Jarvis including the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury while Mythical Kid, trained by Sir Michael Stoute in 2006, went down by a short head to Dijeer in the Horris Hill Stakes. The extra two entries mean that the Saeed bin Suroor trained contingent for the Vodafone Derby now stands at 15.
Barry Hills is still seeking his first Vodafone Derby success having trained four runners up in Rheingold (1972), Hawaiian Sound (1978), Glacial Storm (1988) and Blue Stag (1990). The Lambourn handler has added the Gainsborough-owned Dubai Twilight to his contingent this year, giving him four entries in total. Dubai Twilight has made three appearances to date, most recently when landing a maiden in good style at Lingfield Park on April 1.
Irish handler Eoin Griffin has entered Finicius, who won a 20-runner maiden at the Curragh in July, 2006, before finishing fifth in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes at the same course.
Finally, local trainer Terry Mills has entered Kid Mambo. The Lemon Drop Kid colt showed good form in 2006, winning a mile maiden at Sandown Park and finishing second in the Group Three Autumn Stakes over the same distance at Ascot. Mills now has three contenders going forward for the £1.25 million contest.
DIJEER (USA)
Danzig (USA) - Sharp Minister (CAN) (Deputy Minister (CAN))Form:2121- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Breeder: Monticule
Trained by Michael Jarvis as a juvenile, Dijeer enjoyed a fruitful campaign. Runner-up on his debut over six furlongs at Ascot in July, he improved to capture a seven-furlong Leicester maiden by a length and a quarter from Dubai Twilight. He was then runner-up to Thousand Words in the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in September and ended the season on a high with a shorthead victory over Mythical Kid in the Group Three Stan James Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury on October 21. He joined trainer Saeed bin Suroor shortly after.
Danzig (USA) - Sharp Minister (CAN) (Deputy Minister (CAN))Form:2121- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor Breeder: Monticule
Trained by Michael Jarvis as a juvenile, Dijeer enjoyed a fruitful campaign. Runner-up on his debut over six furlongs at Ascot in July, he improved to capture a seven-furlong Leicester maiden by a length and a quarter from Dubai Twilight. He was then runner-up to Thousand Words in the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in September and ended the season on a high with a shorthead victory over Mythical Kid in the Group Three Stan James Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury on October 21. He joined trainer Saeed bin Suroor shortly after.
DUBAI TWILIGHT
Alhaarth (IRE) - Eve (Rainbow Quest (USA))Form: 42-(1) Owner: Gainsborough Trainer: Barry Hills Breeder: Highclere Stud
Barry Hills has saddled four seconds in the Vodafone Derby and he will be hoping Dubai Twilight can provide him with an elusive victory. The Gainsborough colt, a 110,000 guineas Tattersalls October yearling, ran a promising fourth on his debut in the Listed Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury in August and was then second to the well-regarded Dijeer in a seven-furlong Leicester maiden the following month. He made a winning start to his three-year-old campaign when comfortably landing a mile maiden on the Polytrack at Lingfield on April 1.
Alhaarth (IRE) - Eve (Rainbow Quest (USA))Form: 42-(1) Owner: Gainsborough Trainer: Barry Hills Breeder: Highclere Stud
Barry Hills has saddled four seconds in the Vodafone Derby and he will be hoping Dubai Twilight can provide him with an elusive victory. The Gainsborough colt, a 110,000 guineas Tattersalls October yearling, ran a promising fourth on his debut in the Listed Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury in August and was then second to the well-regarded Dijeer in a seven-furlong Leicester maiden the following month. He made a winning start to his three-year-old campaign when comfortably landing a mile maiden on the Polytrack at Lingfield on April 1.
FINICIUS (USA)
Officer (USA) - Glorious Linda (FR) (Le Glorieux)Form: 15- Owner: R Stokes Trainer: Eoin Griffin IRE Breeder: JMJ Racing Stables LLC
Finicius made a winning debut at the Curragh on July 1, scoring by two lengths from Fleeting Shadow in a six-furlong maiden. Stepped up to Group Three company for the Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes over half a furlong further just 15 days later, Finicius ran with great credit. Trapped on the rail for much of the race, the gap came too late for the bay colt yet he still finished a close-up fifth behind Regional Counsel.
Officer (USA) - Glorious Linda (FR) (Le Glorieux)Form: 15- Owner: R Stokes Trainer: Eoin Griffin IRE Breeder: JMJ Racing Stables LLC
Finicius made a winning debut at the Curragh on July 1, scoring by two lengths from Fleeting Shadow in a six-furlong maiden. Stepped up to Group Three company for the Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes over half a furlong further just 15 days later, Finicius ran with great credit. Trapped on the rail for much of the race, the gap came too late for the bay colt yet he still finished a close-up fifth behind Regional Counsel.
KID MAMBO (USA)
Lemon Drop Kid (USA) - Spring Pitch (USA) (Storm Cat (USA))Form: (4)512- Owner: J Daniels Trainer: Terry Mills Breeder: R Evans
Kid Mambo is in the care of Epsom trainer Terry Mills who harbours a lifelong ambition to train a winner of the Vodafone Derby. The colt ran green on his debut over seven furlongs at Lingfield in July but was beaten just over a length in fourth. A promising fifth in a Newmarket maiden the following month preceded an easy three and a half-length success over a mile at Sandown on September 13. Kid Mambo went to Salisbury for his final start of the season on October 7, and ran a game race to finish second to Caldra in the Group Three Les Ambassadeurs Club Autumn Stakes over a mile on soft ground.
Lemon Drop Kid (USA) - Spring Pitch (USA) (Storm Cat (USA))Form: (4)512- Owner: J Daniels Trainer: Terry Mills Breeder: R Evans
Kid Mambo is in the care of Epsom trainer Terry Mills who harbours a lifelong ambition to train a winner of the Vodafone Derby. The colt ran green on his debut over seven furlongs at Lingfield in July but was beaten just over a length in fourth. A promising fifth in a Newmarket maiden the following month preceded an easy three and a half-length success over a mile at Sandown on September 13. Kid Mambo went to Salisbury for his final start of the season on October 7, and ran a game race to finish second to Caldra in the Group Three Les Ambassadeurs Club Autumn Stakes over a mile on soft ground.
MYTHICAL KID (USA)
Lemon Drop Kid (USA) - Myth To Reality (FR) (Sadler's Wells (USA))Form: 12- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Breeder: Gary And Lesley Middlebrook half-brother to the brilliant Divine Proportions and the triple Group One winner Whipper, Mythical Kid did little wrong in two starts for Sir Michael Stoute last season before being transferred to the Godolphin team. The $1.4 million yearling made a comfortable winning start in a soft ground seven-furlong Newbury maiden on October 10. The colt made a swift return to the Berkshire track to contest the Group Three Stan James Horris Hill Stakes 11 days later and was caught in the final strides as he went down by a shorthead to Dijeer.
Lemon Drop Kid (USA) - Myth To Reality (FR) (Sadler's Wells (USA))Form: 12- Owner: Godolphin Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Breeder: Gary And Lesley Middlebrook half-brother to the brilliant Divine Proportions and the triple Group One winner Whipper, Mythical Kid did little wrong in two starts for Sir Michael Stoute last season before being transferred to the Godolphin team. The $1.4 million yearling made a comfortable winning start in a soft ground seven-furlong Newbury maiden on October 10. The colt made a swift return to the Berkshire track to contest the Group Three Stan James Horris Hill Stakes 11 days later and was caught in the final strides as he went down by a shorthead to Dijeer.
Stephen Wallis, Managing Director at Epsom Downs, commented: "It is always exciting to see further Vodafone Derby contenders emerging at the second entry stage and taking up the sporting challenge.
"Whilst not wanting to appear biased, it is wonderful to see the locally-trained Kid Mambo added to the field and hopefully he will be able to fly the Epsom flag at Epsom Downs on the first Saturday in June."
♠ 5 More Horses In At 2nd Forfeit Stage (official epsom derby press release)
♠ 165 Derby Entries At First Forfiet Stage
♠ 165 Derby Entries At First Forfiet Stage
Labels: Epsom
Blogged up at 00:36, Sunday, April 22, 2007 by the Sandracer.
