Irish Derby bid strengthened
Sinndar, Galileo and High Chaparral have taken the last three runnings of the great race for Ireland.
And Sinndar’s trainer John Oxx and owner Aga Khan are responsible for Alamshar, who won both his starts as a youngster, on the last of which he inflicted a head defeat on Brian Boru, current ante-post favourite for the Derby.
Brian Boru is trained, like Galileo and High Chaparral, by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle.
Alamshar is due to reappear in the PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Also expected to return on the same card is National Stakes victor Refuse To Bend, who is entered in the Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial.
His trainer Dermot Weld has also added Former Senator, who finished fourth on his debut behind Tomahawk in a Listed event at the Curragh last month, to the Epsom feature.
Bookmakers Coral reacted by cutting Refuse to Bend to 10-1 from 12-1 and trimming Alamshar to 14-1 from 20-1.
They were two out of the eight three-year-olds put in the race at Wednesday’s stage at a cost to connections of £9,000 per horse.
Ed Dunlop’s progressive colt Battle Chant has been added to the field.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned son of Coronado’s Quest won his last two starts in 2002 by an aggregate of 15 lengths, including a Listed contest at Pontefract on his final outing.
Explaining the decision Dunlop said: “He’s won a Listed race by six lengths. Mr and Mrs Thompson (directors of the stud) thought we should enter him and so did I. So we discussed it and we have done.
“We just thought we’d put him in there hopefully to see if he’ll stay.
“It’s hard to tell if he’ll stay as Coronado’s Quest is a young stallion. Whether he’ll stay the mile and a half no-one knows yet but he won a Listed race on soft ground over a mile as a two-year-old so who knows?”
Battle Chant could be seen in racecourse action soon.
“He seems to have done well so far,” added Dunlop.
“He may possibly appear in the Craven Stakes or possibly the Guineas but we’ll see.”
Godolphin are responsible for three of the extra entries.
They are New South Wales, successful in his two outings last season for Oxx, Lateen Sails, recent winner of a private trial in Dubai, and Bourbonnais, fifth in the UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba.
Big Bad Bob, successful in his last four starts in 2002, has been supplemented by Dunlop’s father John.
There is one final opportunity to add horses to the £1.2million contest on May 29 when the cost of a supplementary entry will be £90,000.
Vodafone Derby betting:
William Hill: 7-2 Brian Boru, 7-1 Alberto Giacometti, 10-1 Hold That Tiger, 11-1 Refuse To Bend, 14-1 Alamshar, Dalakhani, 16-1 New South Wales, 20-1 Chevalier, Lateen Sails, 25-1 Muqbil, Powerscourt, Songlark, 33-1 Almushahar, Bourbonnais, Big Bad Bob, Battle Chant, Former Senator, Graikos, Parhellon, Saturn, Tomahawk, 40-1 bar.
Ladbrokes: 7-2 Brian Boru, 8-1 Alberto Giacometti, 12-1 Hold That Tiger, 12 Refuse To Bend, 14-1 Dalakhani, 16-1 Alamshar, 20-1 New South Wales, Chevalier, 33-1 Graikos, Muqbil, Powerscourt, Saturn, Seeking Bellissimo, Tomahawk, 40-1 bar.
Meanwhile, a total of 15 fillies have been entered in the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket on Tuesday.
Chantilly-based trainer Andre Fabre has put his Sagitta 1000 Guineas entry Intercontinental in the seven-furlong Group Three contest.
The last Classic winner to take the Nell Gwyn was Petrushka, who went on to land the Irish Oaks for Sir Michael Stoute in 2000.
The Freemason Lodge trainer has entered Hector’s Girl in the Nell Gwyn this time and this promising individual has been reported to be working well on the Newmarket gallops.
Other interesting entries include John Dunlop’s Khulood, his son Ed’s duo Hold To Ransom and Nasij, and the Geoff Wragg-trained Ego.
The Nell Gwyn entries are: Cala, Cassis, Ego, Garmoucheh, Goodness Gracious, Hector’s Girl, Hold To Ransom, Illustria, Intercontinental, Khulood, Miss Assertive, Nasij, Presto Vento, Silca Boo, Sister Bluebird.
