MICHAEL WHITAKER, four times winner of Hickstead's Silk Cut Derby, yesterday opted for a second borrowed ride in his bid for further success.

Whitaker plans to take over elder brother John's horse Gammon, having arrived at the show with Touchdown, loaned to him by Irish rider James Kernan.

Whitaker, whose top horses are out of action at present, will try out Gammon, runner up with John in last year's Derby, for the first time today before taking him into the Derby Trial.

But he still intends to ride Kernan's 14 year old Touchdown on which he made a promising start to the show by coming in runner up behind Belgium's Stanny van Paesschen, on Mulga Bill in the Silk Cup Tankard.

He gets the chance to ride the 18 year old Gammon, who has competed in seven derbies, as John is riding in Holland in pursuit of a possible £400,000 prize.

The horse was actually brought to Hickstead by John's wife Claire, for their 16 year old daughter, Louise, to ride in junior classes.

With both his top rides, Two Step and Midnight Madness, recovering from injuries Whitaker looked set to miss this Derby meeting.

But Kernan, nursing a broken shoulder which he suffered last month, offered him the ride on Touchdown last week.

He rode the horse for the first time as late as Tuesday, and yesterday in their first competitive outing he took second place as van Paesschen had the only double clear with his Olympic ride Mulga Bill.

Whitaker carried four faults forward from the first round as four went into the jump off and was then clear.

Nick Skelton, three times the Derby winner who was with the Whitaker brothers in Britain failed Olympic team in Atlanta started the show well when he shared a dead heat with Gum Goosen in the Silk Cut Salver.

Skelton, on Sublime, matched Goosen's clear on Karat in 40.72 seconds as he followed him in an 11 horse jump off.

Ireland's Gerry Mullins, last to go on Killone Abbey, also went clear, clocking 41.98 seconds for third place.