OLD RIVALS Dermot Weld and Jim Bolger are unlikely bedfellows but it appears the Epsom Derby is neither man's favourite race right now even after the Weld-trained Casual Conquest kept his unbeaten record with an impressive six-length rout in yesterday's Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown.

The Group Two victory was the centrepiece of a near 123 to 1 treble for Weld and jockey Pat Smullen and the latest instalment of what is rapidly turning into a vintage season for the legendary Curragh trainer.

Certainly, Casual Conquest made a real impression in pulling clear of the supposed number one Epsom contender from Ballydoyle, Washington Irving. However, it appears that following in the Epsom footsteps of previous Derrinstown winners like Sinndar, Galileo and High Chaparral is far from a priority.

The Moyglare Stud-owned colt is not even an entry for British racing's blue riband event and forking out a possible six-figure supplementary fee to get him into it doesn't look like happening.

"I will speak to Mr Haefner (Moyglare owner) and Stan Cosgrove (Moyglare manager), but I would think the horse is more likely to go to the French Derby," said Weld before launching a broadside at the Epsom entry system."You have to pay €500 as a yearling or €10,000 by the first week in April to put them in at Epsom. We have had a wet spring and it is impossible to know if you have a Derby horse at that stage.

"I don't know how British owners put up with this. The Arc is worth €4 million and you can enter for €5,000 this month. If the entry system was fair he would be in at Epsom but fortunately we also have Derbies in France and Ireland," Weld said.

The comments come on the back of Bolger's controversial declaration last month that he would avoid Epsom with New Approach and instead go the Irish Guineas-Irish Derby route.

Despite that Casual Conquest is rated 6 to 1 "with a run" for Epsom by some firms and there is no questioning the promise the latest Weld Classic contender exhibited.

"He is a late-developing horse who has really come to himself in the last few weeks. He's potentially a very good horse," added Weld.

With Famous Name ready to run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Chinese White rated a likely starter in the French Oaks, and other Group One hopefuls like Mad About You and Winchester ready to go, Weld's Classic bag will also contain Carribean Sunset who earned an Irish 1,000 Guineas ticket in yesterday's Group Three trial.

Carribean Sunset was half a length too good for the favourite Katiyra who remains an 8 to 1 shot for the Epsom Oaks after a satisfactory first start of the season. "She didn't break well and didn't get a good early position but stayed on well. She would appear tailor-made for a mile and a half," said Katiyra's trainer, John Oxx.

Weld, who also scored in the 10-furlong maiden with Theocritus, reported of Carribean Sunset: "She is very tough and getting better. The Irish Guineas is the obvious next race."

Tian Shan was the Weld-Smullen hope in the Group Three Amethyst Stakes but he faded to fifth of the six runners behind the all-the-way winner Ferneley.

The 8 to 1 shot was a third Group Three victory for trainer Frank Ennis, who said: "The ground is the secret to him."

Duaisbhanna landed the two-year-old maiden on her debut in a race where another debutant, the Ennis-trained Barack, was leading only to crash through the rail a furlong out. The colt was unharmed even after crashing through the rail again when loose.