Smullen to ride for Ballydoyle

RACING: Pat Smullen has been added to the Ballydoyle jockey squad for the Vodafone Epsom Derby, but a final decision on which of the four Aidan O'Brien runners Kieren Fallon will ride could be left to the last minute.

Final declarations will be made this morning and the indications at Leopardstown last night were that Fallon and O'Brien will take all the time they can before deciding who will ride what.

Fallon's decision appears to rest between Gypsy King and Oratorio and the weight of money over the last number of days suggests the jockey will stick with Gypsy King. However, he could not confirm that last night and O'Brien was also not able to shed any light on the issue.

"Kieren has until the morning to make his mind up. We will have to check out the ground and everything else. He is riding them all in their work and the horses will tell him," said the trainer.

One positive move, however, was the addition of Pat Smullen to O'Brien's Derby team and he is set to ride one of the two other Ballydoyle hopes, Grand Central or Almighty. "I don't know yet which one it will be," said Smullen whose only previous Derby ride was on the unplaced Refuse To Bend two years ago.

Other weekend Derby news was the possible addition of Falstaff to the field for Sunday's Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly where O'Brien's Scorpion is already a definite starter.

"He is going forward all the time and he has got two great rides from Kieren up to now," said O'Brien.

John Oxx's Alayan had been nominated as another possible Irish runner in the race, but the Derrinstown Trial runner-up is on the easy list. "He coughed the other day, so he isn't going to France. He is out for a while, but we hope to have him back for the Irish Derby," said Oxx last night.

This evening's home action is a jumps card at Punchestown where Tony McCoy will team up with a number of JP McManus owned horses. Best of them could be the highly-rated Dooley.