Raaheeb camp focused solely on the task in hand in Irish Derby

EXCITING PROSPECT: Raaheeb cruises to victory in the Bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown in April. Picture: Healy Racing

Connections of Raaheeb insist they are unconcerned about the possibility of ‘team tactics’ in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Supposed team strategy was a hot topic last week at Royal Ascot, with Christophe Soumillon receiving an eight-day suspension after the stewards ruled he had ridden Puerto Rico to advantage stablemate Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

But despite the potential of a five-strong home guard from Ballydoyle to overcome at the Curragh on Sunday, the team behind the unbeaten Raaheeb — who is a full-brother to Baaeed and Hukum — believe the only thing that matters is whether their runner is good enough.

“We can only worry about our horse and it is up to Rossa Ryan how he rides him. We have to hope everyone gets a fair cut at it,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell. “But you can’t go into a race worrying about that otherwise you would never have a runner.

“We just have to hope he turns up in good form and gets a run and we will see what happens.” 

The St James’s Palace Stakes, in which Ryan Moore was also banned for three days for careless riding following an incident leaving the stalls, was by no means the only race where supposed team strategy came into play in a week of predictably high class, high stakes action.

In the Coronation Stakes won by Moore on Precise, Saffie Osborne complained that her mount and eventual second Touleen, another runner for Shadwell, was denied a clear run by Wayne Lordan on Ballydoyle second-string True Love.

Responding to questions about the St James’s Palace, O’Brien had insisted all his horses were there to run on their own merits with pacemakers in to ensure a truly-run race not disadvantage runners from other stables.

Soumillon, for his part, has appealed against his suspension.

Gold suggested the bigger question ahead of this weekend is whether Raaheeb is good enough, as the Owen Burrows-trained son of Sea The Stars steps into unknown territory in a Group 1 against a high-quality field.

“He has only run twice in his life so it is a massive jump up anyway so that’s why we are not going to start worrying about tactics and things like that,” he said.

“We don’t even know whether he is up to this class yet. Obviously we hope he is, but until you try it you are not going to know.” 

Raaheeb has not revealed his full hand yet, making it two wins from two starts with victory in April’s bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown — a run that saw him cut into 8-1 for the Betfred Epsom Derby earlier this month.

Raaheeb did not make that date after pulling out with stiffness following Sandown but he will get his chance to show what he can do this Sunday, a date that has been circled on the Burrows calendar since then.

Meanwhile, Charlie Johnston is keen to send Venetian Lace to Ireland for Saturday’s Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes, provided ground conditions are deemed suitable.

An excellent third in the 1000 Guineas on her three-year-old debut, the Masar filly then finished last of nine when stepped up to a mile and a half for the Oaks at Epsom.

With Johnston of the opinion rain-softened ground was to blame for her disappointing showing on the Surrey Downs, he is keen to ensure underfoot conditions are more in her favour before committing to another Group 1 outing this weekend.

“It will depend on the ground and I’ve actually been meaning to phone the groundsman this afternoon,” Johnston said.

“You’d like to think in these conditions they’re able to produce good to firm ground and provided the ground is good or quicker the intention is very much to go, as from the moment we were unsaddling her at Epsom I thought this was the obvious next step.

“We didn’t learn at Epsom whether she stayed or not — she was beaten too far out. But coming back to this intermediate trip made perfect sense for her next run.

“She’s in good order. Jason [Hart] came in and had a sit on her this morning, so it’s all systems go subject to ground.”