Epsom Derby next on agenda for Dubawi
The brilliant son of Dubai Millennium left his disappointing effort when fifth in the English equivalent behind when sprinting to an impressive two-length success over Oratorio at the Curragh.
Dubawi was immediately cut for the Epsom Classic and is as low as 4-1 with William Hill for the blue riband.
“He has come out of his race extremely well, is arriving back from Ireland later on this morning and we have now got a green light to go to Epsom,” said Crisford.
Dubawi has yet to race beyond a distance of a mile and will be stepping into unknown territory when tackling the 12-furlong Derby trip.
“We are hopeful that he would have every chance of staying but won’t know until he tries it,” Crisford continued.
“We certainly won’t be trying to find out before hand and we will only know on Derby day whether that trip is within his compass.
“We would be confident that a mile and a quarter is well with his range but the extra two furlongs are an altogether different ball game, but over the years plenty of top mile-and-a-quarter horses have won the Derby.
“There is some stamina on his dam’s side of his pedigree but Dubai Millennium himself didn’t stay and the Derby was two furlongs too far for him.
“Dubawi was really relaxed yesterday, though, and we are happy to give it a go but he has go to prove himself over this distance.
“He has got a real turbo-charged burst of speed and hopefully that will stand him in good stead at Epsom.”
Dubawi’s lacklustre performance at Newmarket was put down to the fast ground and Crisford warned that the colt would not be risked on quick conditions again.
“It was too fast at Newmarket and we wouldn’t be running him on ground like that again, whatever the race, but hopefully the ground will be nice for him at Epsom,” he said.
“Dubawi was a top two-year-old, winning a Group One as a juvenile, and had a very good winter.
“Things didn’t work out at Newmarket but as a son of Dubai Millennium it was very important to get him back on track, and it was most important for the horse.”
With Dubawi firmly in the Derby picture, last weekend’s French 2000 Guineas winner Shamardal could swerve Epsom and instead line-up for the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on June 5.
“At this time, Shamardal is more likely to go for the French Derby, and he has been fine since last weekend,” added Crisford.
Westerner outclassed the opposition with a facile victory in the Group Two Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp yesterday.
The six-year-old, owned by Ecurie Wildenstein and trained by Elie Lellouche, took the lead from his pacemaking stable companion Poussin two furlongs out and burst clear in the hands of Olivier Peslier.
Last year’s Gold Cup runner-up won as he liked from Allez Olive with the Mark Johnston-trained Winged D’Argent just behind in third.
The other British raider Anak Pekan could never strike a blow and was out of the frame.
Westerner is 3-1 clear favourite from 9-2 with Paddy Power for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot at York.
