AFTER the brilliance of Frankel and the drama of Black Caviar at Royal Ascot, it is the turn of the other star of the season so far, Camelot, to strut his stuff when he faces just six rivals in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday.
Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten colt bids to become the 16th horse to complete the Epsom and Irish Derby double at the Curragh on Saturday evening.
He will be ridden by the trainer’s son, Joseph, and joined by Ballydoyle stabelmates Astrology (Seamie Heffernan) and Imperial Monarch (Colm O’Donoghue). John Oxx is also double-handed with stable jockey Johnny Murtagh aboard Born To Sea, and William Buick taking an excellent spare on Akeed Mofeed.
Last year’s Beresford Stakes runner-up Akeed Mofeed will be having his first start of the season in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Classic, while Born To Sea was a respectable fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes last week.
Completing the field, as expected, are Jim Bolger’s Ballysax and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes winner Light Heavy, and the Dermot Weld-trained Speaking Of Which, who took the Gallinule Stakes at the course last month in impressive fashion. – GBI Racing
