IS EXCELLENCE, who along with stable companion Rainbow Blues represents Aidan O'Brien in tomorrow week's Budweiser Irish Derby, has a further preliminary in today's Prosperous Race at Naas.
Both he and Rainbow Blues area working well but apparently His Excellence needs a lot of preparing. If Truth Or Dare takes his chance in the Derby Christy Roche will probably ride otherwise he will choose between the O'Brien trained duo.
If the Dermot Weld trained Zagreb does not run in the Irish Derby - and a decision will be reached early next week - Michael Kinane will be free to ride Dr Massini who pleased him when he rode him to victory in the Glasgow Stakes at York.
Kinane was looking forward to riding him at Epsom but three days before the race he was ruled out owing to lameness on his near fore.
Judging by the latest ante post betting Shaamit will start favourite for the big race from his seemingly luckless Epsom Derby rival Dushyantor with Dr Massini third favourite. Others quoted include Alhaarth, fifth at Epsom and Polaris Flight, runner up in the French Derby.
If successful, Shaamit will the 13th horse to win both the Epsom, and Irish Derbys. Ten have failed to complete the double.
If His Excellence is to earn his ticket to the Curragh he will need to perform well in the Prosperous Race. The distance is only a mile but he ran a good race to dead heat for third place behind Needle Gun and Prince Andros in the Group Two Gallinule Stakes over 10 furlongs at the Curragh.
Dermot Weld runs Peace Prize who actually beat His Excellence by a head when both colts were making their debut at the Curragh last July. That race was over seven furlongs and Peace Prize made virtually all the running.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)