All eyes on Fallon and Nelson

Kieren Fallon will bid to cement his position as the undisputed King of Epsom with success aboard Horatio Nelson in the Vodafone Derby tomorrow.

The 41-year-old former champion is on the crest of a wave following a superb success on Alexandrova in the Oaks, and is out to claim his fourth success in the world’s most famous Flat race since 1999.

Fallon had the choice of five mounts for the Coolmore operation, but has opted for Stan James 2000 Guineas eighth Horatio Nelson, who is a 4-1 chance with Coral.

“When you win the Oaks you can’t but go into the Derby full of confidence. My confidence is flowing and hopefully it can flow through to Horatio Nelson,” he said.

“Hopefully I’ve chosen the right one and he can do it on the day.”

The Danehill colt has been the subject of a serious plunge in the market since news leaked he had worked extremely well at Ballydoyle on Tuesday.

“Horatio worked brilliantly the other day. He’s in great order, he’ll love the ground and he’ll come into his own here. I’m confident anyway,” Fallon told Racing UK.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien also runs totesport Dante hero Septimus, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Dylan Thomas, along with runner-up Mountain, while Fallon could have also ridden the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Papal Bull.

O’Brien added: “When you go into the Derby with the winner of the Dante and the winner of the Derrinstown, traditionally the two strongest trials for the Derby, you can’t help but think you might have a chance.

“And to have Horatio as well, I hope we can get another result but I’ll be delighted if they all just do themselves justice.”

Thirty years may have elapsed since Empery plundered the blue riband for France but hopes are high in the Andre Fabre camp that Visindar can become the first winner from across the Channel since 1976.

Fabre himself is no stranger to Epsom defeat having seen the likes of Toulon, Cloudings and Pennekamp all fall by the wayside on the first Saturday in June but he appears to hold the ace this time around.

A son of 2000 Derby winner Sinndar, Visindar is unbeaten in three career outings and hailing from a stable with enormous strength in depth, he heads the market at around 2-1.

“On ability, Visindar is good enough to win the Derby, but in terms of experience who knows?” said Fabre.

“Visindar should cope with Epsom, he’s well-balanced, he’s got a good action, he’ll stay, and he’s got an excellent temperament – he’s very laid-back.

“The one thing against him is he lacks experience. The maidens here in France, they don’t have many runners, they all get into their positions, it’s not rough like the Derby can be.”

Visindar did not make his debut until November last year when winning at Saint-Cloud and has followed up that success with victories at Longchamp and in the Prix Greffulhe back at Saint-Cloud last time.

“I’m very happy with his progress since the Greffulhe,” Fabre continued. “I was only able to run him once at two as he was too immature but three runs before the Derby is fine.”

Christophe Soumillon will take the mount aboard Visindar while Frankie Dettori, who is still searching for his first Derby success, has the ride on Fabre’s second-string – Lingfield Derby Trial winner Linda’s Lad.

“If I worked them both in the morning, Visindar would win, but who knows if it will be the same in the afternoon? In many ways they are opposites, Linda’s Lad has a lot of experience,” said Fabre.

Marcus Tregoning has nominated his Sir Percy as “the one to beat” when the Classic runner-up takes his place on the Downs.

After charging through his juvenile campaign with an unbeaten record, the Dewhurst winner made his seasonal bow in te Guineas when finding only the talismanic George Washington too strong.

It has been well-documented that the son of Mark Of Esteem had a hard race on the Rowley Mile, but Tregoning reports him to be fighting fit and ready to do himself justice in the £1,250,000 contest.

“He came out of the Guineas a bit jarred in front and when the jarring came out he pulled a hamstring and pulled muscles in his back too. But with a lot of hard work and plenty of physio it has come out pretty quickly really,” he said.

“He looks very, very well. He went into the Guineas a fresh horse and now he has had the race he should be better for it.”

Sir Percy – who had Horatio Nelson back in eighth at Newmarket – will be tackling a mile and a half for the first time and connections have no worries about him seeing out the distance.

“The jockey (Martin Dwyer) is confident he will stay and that is all we can hope for. I feel he will stay but we have to just ride a normal race on him and assume he will get the trip.

“All things being equal he definitely looks the one to beat.”

Hala Bek, winner of a Newbury maiden on his sole start, represents Michael Jarvis, who hopes the Halling colt will cope with the big occasion.

Jarvis said: “He breezed over three furlongs on Wednesday and he has had two relatively easy days since. He did a couple of canters this morning and I’m very pleased with him.

“He looks very well and I’m happy with the draw (five). I hope the ground stays as it is.

“Hopefully the occasion and the noise won’t get to him. He is still a very inexperienced horse but the biggest problem may be the opposition.

“There are half a dozen with very good chances and he will need to be very talented to beat them.”

Robert Winston gets the chance to cement his place as one of the best jockeys around when he takes the mount on Chester vase winner Papal Bull.

“I’m really looking forward to it and I’ve picked up a good spare ride. The horse has gone from strength to strength and has really improved,” he said.

“He’s a different horse when he gets to the track and I’m expecting a big run from him.

“It looks a wide-open race, hopefully we’ll get a true gallop and a bit of luck in running.”