Murtagh looks set to partner Cape Blanco

IRISH DERBY NEWS:INDICATIONS LAST night were that Johnny Murtagh will ride Cape Blanco in Sunday's €1.25 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh as he pursues a fourth victory in Ireland's premier Classic.

Although final running and riding arrangements are unlikely to be made until this morning, it looks like Aidan O’Brien will be represented by five colts in the Derby, and that Murtagh will be on board Cape Blanco.

O’Brien reported last evening that other current plans are for Séamus Heffernan to ride Jan Vermeer with Colm O’Donoghue remaining on board Midas Touch on who he was fifth in the Epsom Derby. Seán Levey and the trainer’s son, Joseph, are on standby to ride the Epsom Derby runner-up At First Sight and Bright Horizon.

However, it was stressed that final arrangements will be left until this morning when final declarations for the Derby have to be made at 10am. Jockey bookings don’t have to be confirmed until 12.30pm.

“We always give Johnny as much time as he wants to make up his mind as he wants to be on the one that has the best chance,” O’Brien said before outlining his fondness for the Curragh Classic.

“The Curragh every year is always the ultimate test because it is probably the fairest track. You usually get an even gallop and it takes the hard luck stories out of it. Epsom can be very tactical sometimes and you can get different results,” he added.

O’Brien acknowledged that there is some uncertainty surrounding his main players this weekend.

“In Epsom you could say the pacemaker got away and Jan Vermeer was a little bit on and off the bridle.

“It might have been greenness, and it might have been race fitness. Cape Blanco ran a listless race in France. It’s possible, but not definite, that all five will run,” he said.

In other news, the Ballydoyle trainer indicated that his Coronation Stakes winner, Lillie Langtry, may line up next against older fillies in Newmarket’s Falmouth Stakes.

“She is a filly with loads of class and a mile is not a problem for her,” he explained. “After that she could try the Nassau at Goodwood but at the moment the Falmouth is the first target.”