Epsom Derby winner Oath, who is on course next Sunday week's Irish Derby, will work today for the first time since his Epsom success.

"He's fine and I'm very pleased with him," the colt's trainer Henry Cecil said yesterday.

"However, horses are not machines and I'll be working him tomorrow, Saturday and next week before making a decision about the Irish Derby. "If I'm happy with him he will run. At the moment you could say he is a probable runner."

Willie Carson, racing manager for Oath's owners The Thoroughbred Corporation, said: "Oath looks the type to improve from his Derby run. But it's only one week since Epsom and we'll have to wait and see. We are still in a guessing game. We will know more after Oath has done some work."

Carson added that he didn't feel the Derby was an inferior race this year.

"The fact that the time was slower than usual could be put down to the soft ground," he added.

"Anyone who thinks this was an inferior Derby is liable to be proved wrong but we'll not know the strength of the three-year-olds until they meet the older horses.

"The colt I think will make most improvement is Beat All. He had problems before the race and an interrupted preparation but he still finished third."