Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid) has been showing Ed Dunlop “all the right signs”–which is why the colt has been supplemented for his third Group 1 in three different countries. After being supplemented for the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom, where he finished a creditable sixth of 16, he was then added to the G1 Irish Derby where he managed to get a lot closer to Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in fourth place. Now, he will run in the G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at Saint-Cloud on Thursday, after owner Ronnie Arculli once more put his hand in his pocket.
“We have supplemented Red Verdon this morning, he came out of his run at The Curragh extremely well and has been showing us all the right signs at home,” the Newmarket handler posted on www.edunlop.com. “It is a competitive field, as you would imagine, and he could encounter the fastest ground he has run on this year. But the ground has been well watered and the forecast is for temperatures to cool as the week progresses, we hope he will run a big race and he is joint-top-rated.”
Red Verdon is one of nine possibles in the Group 1, in which Aidan O'Brien has two potential contenders in Beacon Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Andre Fabre has three of the nine in Epsom eighth Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), French Derby fourth Talismanic (GB) (Medaglia d'Oro) and the twice-raced Maniaco (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).
“All three are likely to run,” said Fabre. “Cloth Of Stars has been fine since Epsom. Talismanic would enjoy a few showers that are forecast–after such a wet summer, we now want rain. Maniaco missed his prep run for this but he is a very good horse in the making. I'm looking forward to running him.”
Man-of-the-moment Jean-Claude Rouget could field Mekhtaal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was well fancied for the G1 French Derby, but could finish only eighth. The Pascal Bary-trained Spring Master (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Pia Brandt's Mont Ormel (Fr) (Air Chief Marshal {Ire}) complete the list, with Wings Of Desire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), from John Gosden's yard, a notable absentee.
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