Weld leaning towards Derby for Bend
Refuse To Bend, a leading fancy for the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas, could bypass Newmarket and head instead for the Vodafone Derby, trainer Dermot Weld has said.
Unbeaten in both his starts as a juvenile, Refuse To Bend landed the Group One Aga Khan Studs National Stakes at the Curragh on his second outing to earn a quote of 10-1 from Ladbrokes for the Newmarket Classic.
But Weld said: “He’s plenty short enough in the ante-post betting considering I haven’t said he’ll run at Newmarket.
“The horse was at Leopardstown last Saturday and did a simple workout. He needed it and it should set him up for the 2,000 Guineas Trial there next Sunday week.
“The Leopardstown race will tell us whether to go for the English 2,000 Guineas with the horse or, more what I think, aim him towards the Epsom Derby.
“The horse is quite forward but is very laid-back and we‘ll just wait and see what happens at Leopardstown.
“If we take the Derby option he would go for the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown in May.”
Refuse To Bend, who has yet to be entered for Epsom, is a 12-1 chance with Ladbrokes for the Derby.
Weld, who saddled Group One winners in three different countries last year, has a promising filly to race abroad in Miss Nashwan, a half-length second to Wrong Key in a Listed race at the Curragh on her reappearance.
“The plan is the Oaks d’Italia in Milan,” said Weld. “She’s Italian owned and bred and won in Rome on her only start last season. I like her a lot and like the way she ran on to the line at the Curragh.”
One of Weld’s major successes last season came in the Melbourne Cup with Media Puzzle and he is to target Australia’s feature event with the horse again.
That was Weld’s second Melbourne Cup following Vintage Crop’s win in 1993 and he also sent out Vinnie Roe to finish fourth behind his stable companion last November.
He said: “We will aim Media Puzzle at the Melbourne Cup again, but I’m not sure Vinnie Roe will go back there and we could be looking at Lowlander as our other horse.
“The Melbourne Cup takes a lot out of them and it could take a horse six months to get over it.
“Vinnie Roe was a bit sore after the Melbourne Cup and I have my reservations about him going back there. What we’ll do with Vinnie Roe is have a look at him in May.
“He may go for the Savel Beg Stakes and then the Gold Cup or we may hold on to him for an autumn campaign revolving around the Irish St Leger and the Arc.”
