Murtagh to ride Vermeer in Epsom Derby

AFTER A week of uncertainty Ballydoyle’s weekend Classic plans have been finalised with Johnny Murtagh now set to attempt a Derby double on Jan Vermeer (Epsom) and Cape Blanco (Chantilly).

Aidan O’Brien confirmed yesterday Murtagh will lead a three-pronged attack by Ireland’s champion trainer on Saturday’s Epsom Derby when he teams up with the favourite Jan Vermeer.

He will be joined at Epsom by both Midas Touch (Colm O’Donoghue) and At First Sight (Séamus Heffernan), leaving Murtagh to ride Cape Blanco in Sunday’s French Derby.

Viscount Nelson (O’Donoghue) will also take his chance in the €1.5 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.

Frankie Dettori brought off the Epsom-Chantilly Derby double three years ago on Authorized and Lawman although it is 27 years since Caerleon became just the second Irish-trained horse to win France’s premier Classic. Assert also won in 1982.

O’Brien will be triple-handed in tomorrow’s Oaks with Murtagh on board the maiden Remember When, who finished fourth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on her last start. O’Donoghue will ride the Musidora Stakes flop Cabaret with Heffernan on the Cork maiden winner, Awe Inspiring.

Fame And Glory (Murtagh) will have a pacemaker, Dixie Music, when he lines up in tomorrow’s Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Ground conditions look sure to be on the quick side at Epsom after 2-3mms of water was put on the track yesterday and clerk of the course Andrew Cooper confirmed: “We’ve got a dry warm forecast.”

Jim Bolger will be represented in tomorrow’s Oaks by Akdarena who earned an Epsom ticket with a spectacular success in last month’s Blue Wind Stakes at Naas. Kevin Manning, a Derby winner on New Approach two years ago, will be on board.

The home team in Saturday’s Derby will include John Gosden’s Dee Stakes winner Azmeel who was the subject of an upbeat bulletin yesterday.

“He’s a progressive horse. He ran three times last year but he probably shouldn’t have run the third time. Fortunately he was ridden by Mick Kinane who looked after him properly when he was still at a weak stage,” Gosden said.

“I think the experience of racing around Chester helps a horse grow up a lot and we think he has come on mentally since then,” he added.

Godolphin’s trainer Saeed Bin Suroor was upbeat about Al Zir who will be ridden by Kieren Fallon with stable jockey Frankie Dettori on Rewilding.

Looking ahead to the Irish Derby (June 27th), the Curragh’s Classic day will feature the new National Lottery Sweepstakes race, a €100,000 event that will be the richest sprint handicap run in Ireland. Just 200,000 tickets will be sold by the National Lottery which gives players the chance to win €1 million.

Twenty five tickets will be allocated to a horse in the Curragh race with prizes ranging from €10,000 to a €1 million.