Group 1 winning trio head Derby second entrants
Updated: July 21, 2015 at 4:17 pm
A trio of Group 1 winners at two–Coolmore’s Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Qatar Racing’s Elm Park (GB) (Phoenix Reach {Ire}) and Khalid Abdullah’s Epicuris (GB) (Rail Link {GB})–headline 12 second entries for the G1 Investec Derby, to be held at Epsom Downs June 6.The cost to make a second entry to Britain’s richest race was £8,000 and the additions mean there are now 110 horses remaining engaged in the premier Classic.
Gleneagles captured the G1 National S. at the Curragh last autumn and was also first-past-the-post in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day. He is currently the ante-post favorite for first British Classic, the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, May 2. Elm Park was impressive when winning the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October and, like Gleneagles, is expected to resume in the 2000 Guineas. Criquette Head-Maarek is maintaining her faith in Epicuris, the winner of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last season, despite the colt having suffered his first defeat Monday in the G3 Prix La Force. The Juddmonte homebred will start next in the G2 Prix Greffuhle on Saint-Cloud’s left-handed course, which has proved a successful prep race for Epsom’s Blue Ribband.
Two more French-trained contenders, both unbeaten in two outings, have been given Derby entries. They are Gestut Ammerland’s Grey Lion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a full-brother to dual Classic heroine Golden Lilac (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in training with Andre Fabre, and Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Migwar (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was saddled by Freddy Head to take a conditions race by five lengths on his seasonal reappearance. Migwar will also contest the Prix Greffulhe ahead of a potential trip to Epsom.
Other second entrants include Al Shaqab’s Moheet (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who cost 800,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven breeze-up sale and was a wide-margin winner of his only start last October for Richard Hannon; David Simcock’s Balios (Ire) (Shamardal), also a winner on his lone start to date; Yarmouth maiden victors Bartholomew Fair (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and White Lake (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), both representing the Luca Cumani-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum tandem who combined to win the 1998 Derby with High-Rise (Ire) (High Estate {GB}; as well as Marco Botti’s Puissant (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Patrick Shanahan’s Carbon Dating (Ire) (The Carbon Unit), and William Haggas’ Storm The Stars (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
There are two remaining options for horses to be added to the Derby. They can guarantee their place in the line-up by winning the G3 Derby Trial, run at Epsom Apr. 22, or be supplemented at a cost of £75,000 on Monday, June 1.