Al Zarooni hopes Mandaean can stake Derby claim

Mahmood Al Zarooni expects to find out whether Mandaean is a realistic Investec Derby contender by running him in the Betfred Dante Stakes at York today.

This prestigious Group Two contest is widely considered the best of the British trials for the next month’s Epsom showpiece, with Authorized the last horse to complete the double in 2007.

Mandaean certainly looked the part on his two juvenile appearances for French maestro Andre Fabre, making an impressive debut at Longchamp before grabbing Group One honours in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.