Weld gives Casual Conquest thumbs up for Epsom Derby

RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:CASUAL CONQUEST now looks like stepping into the Epsom Derby and Henrythenavigator appears set to step out as the prospect of soft ground around Europe yesterday led to a welcome firming up of Irish classic plans.

Dermot Weld has recommended to owner Walter Haefner that Casual Conquest be supplemented into the Derby for almost €96,000 at Monday's declaration stage and the unbeaten Derrinstown winner is now a clear 3 to 1 favourite in ante-post lists for Epsom.

However, at the same time Aidan O'Brien all but ruled out the brilliant double Guineas winner Henrythenavigator from an attempt at the Derby, giving the prospect of testing conditions in eight days time as the main reason.

"Henry wants summer ground and at the moment it is soft with no drying weather forecast. A final decision will be made in a day or two but I would say it is very probable he will be withdrawn," the champion trainer said yesterday.

Instead O'Brien nominated a team of five from which he will pick - Frozen Fire, Alessandro Volta, King Of Rome, Washington Irving and Bashkirov. Last year O'Brien had a record eight runners in the race. "We hope to run four or five," he said yesterday. "The two horses that ran at Lingfield (Alessandro Volta and King Of Rome) both ran very good races and are going the right way."

In contrast, Weld's Epsom focus will be just on Casual Conquest, who emerged unscathed from a post-race gallop at Leopardstown on Wednesday, after which Weld decided he would like to supplement the colt into Epsom.

"I was satisfied with the way he worked. He wasn't as explosive at the end as when he won the Derrinstown. But Pat Smullen was very pleased with him and said he idled when he hit the front. He has come out of the work well," Weld said yesterday.

So it looks like Casual Conquest will bid to follow in the hoofprints of past Derrinstown winners like High Chaparral (2002), Galileo (2001), Sinndar (2000) and Golden Fleece (1982) and become just the 13th Irish-trained winner of British racing's blue riband.

Ground conditions in France look like favouring an attempt by another high-class Weld-trained three-year-old iSunday's Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

Famous Name missed out on last weekend's Irish 2,000 Guineas due to firm ground but torrential rain in the Paris area has left the going conditions at Chantilly currently soft. At the moment good to soft ground is currently being forecast for this weekend's €1.5 million feature.

That would appear ideal for Famous Name and the Juddmonte team of owner Khalid Abdullah have already expressed their interest in running in a race that just two Irish horses have won in the past - Assert (1982) and Caerleon (1983).

"You can take it that Famous Name is a pretty definite runner. They have had a lot of rain at Chantilly and we are told it could be something like Irish yielding on Sunday," said Weld's son Mark yesterday.

O'Brien is also set to be represented in the Jockey Club by Achill Island, who will be ridden by Johnny Murtagh. A maximum field of 20 is allowed in the race which means O'Brien's other initial entry Sligo has been taken out.

In other classic news, Weld described another unbeaten star, Chinese White, as "pretty certain" to join the Irish team in next Friday's Epsom Oaks.

"She worked with Casual Conquest and I was pleased with her. She's a very good filly and quickened nicely," said Weld.

Jim Bolger's Lush Lashes looks like leading an Irish team at Epsom that also includes Aidan O'Brien's Sail and John Oxx's Katiyra.

The first of two days at Tramore begins this evening and Denis O'Regan can continue his profitable summer campaign at home with a victory in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle on Wild Side Of Life.

O'Regan, retained rider of the top English owner Graham Wylie, has already made a mark in the last week back in Ireland, although Wild Side Of Life missed out at Tralee last weekend.

Edward O'Grady's runner started favourite but managed only third to Susie Van Hall. However, his quick reappearance looks significant.

Stadium Project will be a popular fancy in the beginners chase after a good run on firm ground at Clonmel eight days ago. However, Tony Mullins's runner faces an interesting opponent in Takeyourpick who was placed over hurdles at the same Clonmel meeting last week. A former point-to-point winner, Takeyourpick should relish this ground and this trip.

Romeo's On Fire ran on impressively at the Curragh last weekend when runner-up to Subtle Shimmer and that suggested the extra distance of tonight's seven-furlong handicap at Down Royal should suit him ideally.