By Daithi Harvey
Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby should help establish a pecking order of Europe's middle distance colts given that Andre Fabre's G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is set to lock horns with both G1 Investec Derby winner and third placed Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The trio are closely matched in the betting at the moment and John Gosden, trainer of Antony Oppenheimer's Cracksman is looking forward to the rematch with his Epsom conqueror though mindful of the task ahead of him. “Cracksman is in great form, we're very happy with him and all being well we're going to The Curragh,” said Gosden on Monday. “It's a lovely track and should suit him. I thought Wings Of Eagles was impressive in the [Epsom] Derby, it certainly wasn't a fluke and he'd have been an unlucky loser if he hadn't won it. Both him and Cracksman are lovely horses and it will be great to see them clash again at the weekend,” he added. Form lines involving G3 Jersey S. winner Le Brivido (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) suggests the French form is strong and Waldgeist represents a formidable challenger for the previously successful combination of Andre Fabre and Gestut Ammerland who claimed the Irish Derby with Hurricane Run (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) back in 2005.
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