Johnston Confident In Derby Runner Permian

Although G2 Dante S. winner Permian (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) lags behind his former Investec Derby Trial conqueror Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the antepost betting for Saturday's G1 Investec Derby, the former's trainer Mark Johnston wasn't mincing words on Tuesday when discussing his colt, saying “Cracksman is going to have to improve significantly to beat him this time.”

Cracksman bested Permian by a short head in that Epsom conditions race on Apr. 26, and while Cracksman goes into the Derby without another race, having been scratched out of the Dante due to the soft going, Permian has two wins under his girth since: the Listed Newmarket S. on May 6 and the May 18 Dante.

“Cracksman is our best guide,” Johnston said. “Obviously and quite understandably his connections are going to expect him to come on from that Epsom race. We pulled a bit of a fast one on him there-he was on the inside and Permian held him in for a few strides and got first run on him. Cracksman managed to get out, came after us and caught us by a nose.”

“There's nothing in it,” Johnston added. “They would have expected Cracksman to improve on that and beat us further, but this is the same track and a different distance and I think we're the more assured of the pair to benefit from the step up in trip.

I don't think there's any doubt in anybody's mind that Permian has come on considerably since that Epsom encounter.”

Permian, who won the Dante in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed's son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, gets the services of jockey William Buick for the Derby.

Johnston told At The Races, “We consider Sheikh Hamdan's horses to be subsidiary of the Godolphin team and William Buick is the retained jockey. In some ways, with them having four horses in the race, it's quite flattering that Permian is the choice of William Buick. To my mind, that makes him the number one. Franny [Norton] won the Dante on him, but William has won on the horse before and he has had a number of different jockeys.”