DERBY RIDE IS PUZZLER FOR BUICK

WILLIAM BUICK’S potential mount in the Investec Derby a week today remains unclear after the jockey was freed to ride at Epsom. Buick failed to overturn a careless-riding ban at a BHA enquiry yesterday, but by securing a reduction in the penalty from five days to four, he became eligible to defer the suspension. The 28-year-old will now also be able to ride in Friday’s Oaks and take the mount on Jack Hobbs if, as expected, the colt lines up in the Coronation Cup 24 hours later. But, despite being retained by Godolphin, Buick’s seventh mount in the Derby is hard to pin down because of the complex nature of the riding plans for Sheik Mohammed’s team. Godolphin’s Derby possibles were reduced to four when trainer Hugo Palmer announced Best Of Days would miss the race. Three of Godolphin’s remaining options — Best Solution, Benbatl and Dubai Thunder — are all trained by Saeed Bin Suroor. But neither Buick, twice runner-up in the Derby, nor colleague James Doyle — who also has a Godolphin retainer — have been handed a ride this season by Suroor. The other option for Buick and Doyle is Mark Johnston’s Permian, who was ridden by Franny Norton when winning the Dante Stakes, but is owned by the Sheik’s son. Permian’s Derby credentials received an endorsement when Khalidi, who he beat by six lengths at Newmarket earlier this month, was a clear winner of the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. AIDAN O’BRIEN’S seventime Group One winner Minding is injured. The filly had been due to run in tomorrow’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, where O’Brien’s Winter is favourite to add the Irish 1,000 Guineas to her English Guineas win.