Middleham Park Racing's Viren's Army (Ire) (Twirling Candy) will not be supplemented to the G1 Investec Derby and is set to be entered in the Goffs London Sale June 13. The 3-year-old rose to prominence when upsetting the Listed Dee S. at Chester May 6, but Tim Palin, racing manager for Middleham Park, said the ownership group voted against putting up the £75,000 to supplement for the Derby.
“A few of the owners were undecided about supplementing, but they've had their vote and decided not to,” Palin said. “It's a prohibitive figure and he's 25-1 to win. If he was around 6-1, the maths would probably stack up. There's the Italian Derby and the Irish Derby that he could in run, but there's only one Derby, I know.”
Palin noted that Viren's Army holds entries Friday's Listed Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood and Sunday's G3 Gallinule S. at The Curragh, but said the colt would take up neither engagement.
“His next date in public is at the Goffs sale on the eve of Royal Ascot and he has an entry in the [G3] Tercentenary S. [at Royal Ascot June 16]. We will test the waters and if he doesn't make his reserve, he will run in the Tercentenary,” Palin said.
Viren's Army will be offered with his Tercentenary entry, so should he be sold, he will be eligible to run in his new owners' colours.
“Viren's Army has been the apple of my eye for a long time, but Middleham Park is a commercial operation and we have sold many top-class horses that have gone on to great success for their new owners,” Palin noted. “Horses like Toormore, Realtra, Kool Kompany, Lily's Angel and Sandiva are examples of this and I expect an improving colt like Virens Army to be no exception, so much so that we have entered him in the Irish Derby after Royal Ascot. He is an ideal horse to campaign in both Europe and internationally, he has a great disposition and looks very progressive.”
Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby added, “The London Sale continues to go from strength-to-strength, and we are delighted to work with Middleham Park. Viren's Army looks set to be one of the centerpieces of our sale and appeals as a horse who will excel anywhere in the world.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
