JOHN OXX’S prayers for fast ground to suit Sea The Stars in Saturday’s Investec Derby look like being answered with watering now appearing likely to take place at the famous Epsom track during the week.
Oxx had expressed his intention to withdraw the 2,000 Guineas winner if the going came up soft at Epsom but instead conditions look like being perfect for Sea The Stars and the rest of the all-dominant Irish team.
A total of eight Irish-trained runners look set to line up for the Derby with Jim Bolger’s Gan Amhras joining Sea The Stars and a six-strong representation from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard.
The champion trainer narrowed down his Epsom options at the weekend to a sextet headed by Rip Van Winkle and Fame And Glory, backed up the Dante winner Black Bear Island, Age Of Aquarius and the first two home in the Chester Vase, Golden Sword and Masterofthehorse.
Johnny Murtagh’s decision on which of the Ballydoyle runners he will ride is eagerly awaited but other riding arrangements for the Ballydoyle horses will be sorted out between Séamus Heffernan, Colm O’Donoghue, Pat Smullen, Richard Hughes and Ryan Moore.
With Crowded House currently the shortest non-Irish trained horse in ante-post betting at 20 to 1, it is an unbackable 1 to 8 about an Irish horse becoming the 15th blue riband winner to be trained in this country.
Yesterday Epsom’s clerk of the course, Andrew Cooper, issued a positive bulletin on the ground ahead of this weekend’s spectacular. “If we were racing today I would have no hesitation in calling it good and most forecasts are telling us it will be a dry week,” he said. “I think we will water but I don’t think we need a great deal to hold it nice. I think it is one of those years when it is in our hands. We might put on 6-10mms on the track during the week.”
Cooper added that he aims for good ground and good to firm in places on Saturday. That could leave the going as good on Friday when the Oaks and Coronation Cup will be run.
* LOGI UNIVERSE emerged on top in a family battle by stunning hot favourite Unrivaled to take victory in a wet Japan Derby in Tokyo on yesterday. Unrivaled finished a distant 12th to the dismay of a crowd of 93,000.
Ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, Logi Universe won the 2,400 metre race in two minutes 33.7 seconds, finishing four lengths clear of runner-up Reach the Crown.
