Irish Derby in decline

The decline of the Irish Derby is down to the fact that there are simply nowhere near enough top-class staying three-year-olds around any more

When Roger Varian withdrew Kingston Hill from last Saturday’s Irish Derby at the Curragh, he didn’t half set the cat among the pigeons.

As a result we have had top racing officials scurrying around Europe this week - if that’s not too much of an exaggeration - in an effort to “save’’ the race.