Derby

ROSEGREEN, Ireland--Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace--Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})--in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4. Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as...

Jean-Claude Rouget is not prone to hyperbole so, when the decorated French handler compared the unexposed Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to his only G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) earlier this week, some people did a double take. Not Benoit Jeffroy, who manages Haras de Bouquetot on behalf of the Al Shaqab operation. Jeffroy has long been aware of the standing in which the multiple Classic-winning trainer has held Al Hakeem and, when the colt won the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on...

Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), the short-priced favourite for the Cazoo Derby, is not certain to line up at Epsom after meeting with a setback, Aidan O'Brien has revealed. Third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last Saturday, Luxembourg had been a general 2-1 chance for Derby glory before O'Brien revealed the news to the Racing Post on Friday. He said, "Luxembourg was a little bit off after his canter this morning. He was a little lame on his off-hind." O'Brien added, "We are not sure of the reason why at...

Less than a fortnight after it was announced that legendary trainer Kevin Prendergast would remain on the Shadwell roster, the 89-year-old operator confirmed that he was not the retiring kind and spoke for the first time since Hamdan Al Maktoum's passing about his long and successful relationship with the hugely influential owner. The Shadwell operation has been winding down gradually since Hamdan Al Maktoum passed away just over a year ago and, while major operators like Dermot Weld and Sir Michael Stoute will no longer train any of the horses...

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) will head straight to Epsom following his third-place finish in Saturday's 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.  The winner of last season's G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster is currently favourite for the Cazoo Derby on June 4. "The two colts [from the 2000 Guineas] cantered this morning and seem fine. Luxembourg just clipped heels after going 50 yards and he did well to finish where he did," said O'Brien at the Curragh on Monday. "I think he will go straight to Epsom, that was...

On the eve of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, The Jockey Club has revealed some early details of the plans in place to mark the celebration at the Cazoo Derby festival at Epsom Downs on June 3 and 4. With The Queen confirmed to attend the Derby alongside members of the Royal Family, tens of thousands of fans will be permitted to attend the raceday, with The Hill also re-opened for the first time in two years. The Hill will this year include a ticketed Jubilee Family Celebration section, with other...

Last week's Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions S. winner Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is likely to be put away for the winter with an eye towards starting in a Derby trial next spring, said trainer Martyn Meade. Campaigned by Aquis Farm and Manton Park, Zechariah broke his maiden at third asking at Sandown on July 22 before making fairly light work of Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Godolphin's King Of Conquest (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at Newbury on Friday. "I was a little concerned about the ground, but...

It has become custom for some to yearn for the glory days of the Epsom Derby, when the blue riband of the English turf sat proud on its Wednesday slot dominating the consciousness of the London area. While it has fallen some way short of its past standard as a national treasure, one of the factors in its relative demise has been lack of competition but this year's Cazoo-sponsored renewal stands up on that score at least. In fact, with all its converging plots there has not been as exciting...

Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) denied heavy 3-5 favourite and G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas hero Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) by the narrowest of margins to take the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo on Sunday. It was the record-setting seventh win in that Classic for a son of Deep Impact, whose earlier successes include Deep Brillante (Jpn) (2012), Kizuna (Jpn) (2013), Makahiki (Jpn) (2016), Wagnerian (Jpn) (2018), Roger Barows (Jpn) (2019) and Triple Crown victor Contrail (Jpn) last term. Sent off at 10-1, Shahryar was rank and tugging for...

Anyone who either dabbles in the business with a mare or two, or operates in the higher echelons with a sizeable broodmare band, would be more than excited in the Classic countdown to have a five-length winner of a Newmarket trial who was catapulted into second favouritism for the Derby. That was the position breeder Philippa Cooper found herself in on Guineas weekend when Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) cantered all over his rivals for a cosy success in the listed Newmarket S. for William Haggas and Shadwell. And she admits...

G1 Cazoo Derby favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could be re-routed to next Thursday's G2 Dante S. at York after unsatisfactory blood work ruled him out of Saturday's Listed Derby Trial S. at Lingfield. "His blood count didn't come back proper--his SAA [Serum Amyloid A] was very high and that is usually an indication of inflammation or infection somewhere, but we couldn't find either anywhere in his body," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He scoped perfect this morning. Maybe it was just one of those things, but we'll do...

Cazoo, the UK's leading online car retailer, has been unveiled as the main sponsor of The Derby Festival, which will take place this year at Epsom Downs on June 4 and 5. The multi-year partnership includes exclusive naming rights of eight races during the festival, including the Cazoo Derby and Cazoo Oaks, as well as year-round exposure for Cazoo at all 15 of the Jockey Club's 15 racecourses in the UK. Alex Chesterman OBE, founder and chief executive officer of Cazoo, said, "We're delighted to be sponsoring The Cazoo Derby...