John Dunlop has ended more than a week of speculation by announcing that Lucido will be supplemented for the Epsom Derby a fortnight on Saturday. Owner Hildegarde Focke has decided to fork out the £75,000 needed to add her colt to the field for the premier Classic seven days before the race, provided all continues to be well with him.
Mrs Focke has been weighing up her options since the three-year-old beat former ante-post favourite Daliapour in the Derby Trial at Lingfield nine days ago.
The Epsom picture has got cloudier in the interim, with question marks arising over the participation of Adair and Montjeu and the York May meeting failing to throw up a new market leader.
Late last week Dunlop hinted that Lucido could well be added to the line-up, after "nothing very convincing happened" in the Dante Stakes at York won by Salford Express. And he said yesterday: "It has been decided by the owner of Lucido to supplement him for the Derby, which will be done at the appropriate time providing his preparation continues satisfactorily."
No Epsom jockey has been booked for Lucido, who was ridden by Richard Quinn when scoring by a length and quarter from Daliapour at Lingfield in a race used as a stepping-stone to Epsom success by High-Rise last year.
Quinn will decide "some time this week" whether to commit himself to the ride on Lucido. The freelance jockey, who returns from suspension tomorrow, has several other Derby options as he also rode Epsom candidates Brancaster, Housemaster, Salford Express on their latest appearances.
DERBY BETTING: (William Hill) - 6-1 Beat All, 7-1 Oath, 8-1 Lucido, 10-1 Adair, 12-1 Dubai Millennium, Housemaster, Montjeu, 14-1 bar.
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