Racing: Sea The Stars will face 12 rivals in Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby should John Oxx finalise his colt's participation. The trainer of the brilliant Derby and 2000 Guineas winner has expressed concern about the ground becoming too soft at the Curragh and may not give the go-ahead to run until raceday.
A going report for the track on Friday reported 12 millimetres of rain overnight, with the going as good to yielding on the straight course and good on the round course while the forecast is for sunny and dry weather for the weekend.
Sea The Stars is set to be challenged by seven runners from Aidan O’Brien’s stable including the second, third and fifth from Epsom — Fame And Glory, Masterofthehorse and Golden Sword.
They are joined by Byzantine, Drumbeat, Rockhampton and Hail Caesar.
Oxx also saddles Mourayan, with Jim Bolger’s Gan Amhras and Kevin Prendergast’s Recharge others to come into consideration.
The Bull Hayes and Loch Long complete the line-up with O’Brien pulling out Malibu Bay, Freemantle and Set Sail. Bolger did not declare Ard Na Greine.
Recharge was only beaten a length by Sea The Stars as a two-year-old, which is giving Prendergast some hope.
The trainer does admit some reservations about his colt getting the Derby distance as he has only raced over a mile. His most recent outing was when fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
“Recharge is in good shape and is all set to take his chance on Sunday. I’m hoping the step up in trip will suit him but we’ll have to see,” said Prendergast.
“He didn’t run at all really in the Guineas as the ground was bottomless and he ran far better than we thought. He’s really a dry ground horse.
“I had Recharge’s dam Rebelline and she beat Nayef in the Tattersalls Gold Cup over a mile and a quarter. We never really ran her over further so we don’t know on the stamina front.
“Our horse wasn’t beaten far by Sea The Stars in the Beresford Stakes last year and everything goes right he’ll run a big race.”