Investec Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) could attempt to become a dual Classic winner in Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby but trainer Dermot Weld has sounded a note of caution regarding his colt's preparation for the Curragh following his Epsom victory.
“I'm satisfied with the horse, he had a tough race at Epsom and he's just taken time to come out of the race, as you can understand,” said Weld, who recorded his first win in the Derby with the Aga Khan homebred following a last-minute scare when the colt suffered a minor injury to his foot after pulling a shoe off en route to the racecourse.
He continued, “He's a horse that gives his all, he's a very courageous horse, and it just left its mark on him for the first week, but we're more happy with him now. My concern now is that he's over all that but he had to go on antibiotics for a few days to prevent infection and you never know what they take out of you at the time.
“I think he's putting his weight back on and perking up. He's moving very nicely and provided we're satisfied with him on Thursday at declaration time, he'll run on Saturday. The ground should be all right. The final decision will be made on the day of the race.”
If he makes the final line-up, Harzand could face a rematch with the Aidan O'Brien-trained duo of US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who finished second and third behind him in the Derby.
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