Derby approach gets official seal of approval
New Approach has been given a rating of 126 from British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper Phil Smith following his brilliant victory in the Vodafone Derby.
Smith, who has yet to discuss his conclusions with Irish counterpart Garry O’Gorman, believes Jim Bolger’s colt is already “a pretty good Derby winner”.
“I’ve come up with 126 for the horse. That is based on two things – I had Casual Conquest going into the race on 118 and he’s given him a five-length beating which works out at 8lb over a mile and a half,” said Smith.
New Approach earned the same rating when champion two-year-old, but Smith explained that in itself is some achievement.
“Interestingly, 126 was New Approach’s rating as a two-year-old. It seems the sensible option to give him the same rating,” he went on.
“That doesn’t mean to say he hasn’t improved. There’s a massive weight for age difference between the Dewhurst as a two-year-old and the Derby as a three-year-old. He has made massive improvement just to stay at the same rating of 126.”
Bolger confirmed New Approach will bid to complete the English/Irish Derby double later this month.
Ground permitting, he will go for more Classic glory in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 29.
“The immediate target is the Irish Derby and we’ll sit down and talk about it after that,” said the trainer.
“He wouldn’t run on firm ground.”
Bolger once again stressed how much credit jockey Kevin Manning deserved in the win.
He told At The Races: “It’s the best Derby-winning ride I’ve seen, it was brilliant. It was obvious from the Guineas at Newmarket that he would stay.
“I’m sure other jockeys would have won on him but I don’t think anybody could have just stepped into the plate and won on him, he takes a bit of knowing.”
New Approach is 4-6 favourite with Cashmans for the Irish Derby in which he could renew rivalry with Epsom second and third, Tartan Bearer and Casual Conquest.
Tony McCoy paid tribute to Bolger’s training ability, having spent spent four of his teenage years at his stables in County Carlow before moving over to England in 1994 to continue his own flourishing career.
McCoy was riding at Worcester on Saturday, but managed to watch on television as New Approach gave Bolger his first victory in the premier Classic.
“It was great for him. It didn’t surprise me that he won the Derby. It just shows what a good trainer he is,” McCoy said.
“He’s obviously a very ambitious person – I should think he wants to win every big race and the Derby, if not the biggest, is certainly one of the biggest.
“I just think he’s pleased that he’s disappointed a lot of people by winning it.”
McCoy was referring to Bolger’s critics over the ’will New Approach run or not’ saga that added controversy to the colt’s superb victory.
“I bet he didn’t know much about the criticism, especially when it was coming from the people it was coming from. I don’t think it would have bothered him too much,” McCoy went on.
“He’s a brilliant trainer, obviously. He’s someone you lean an awful lot from,” he remarked.
“I was there for four and a half years and I learned after about four and a half minutes it was better to shut up watch and listen than have any arguments with him, and it didn’t do me any harm.
“You don’t become such a successful owner, breeder and trainer purely from luck and I should think he was more than pleased to win the Derby.”
