SMULLEN READY FOR THE CRACK
THERE were 12 left in Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the latest confirmation stage with Pat Smullen the main beneficiary.
He has been booked by John Gosden to ride Cracksman with the injury to Frankie Dettori keeping him on the sidelines for at least a couple of weeks. Smullen has won the race twice before on Grey Swallow in 2004 and Harzand 12 months ago. “He has been booked to ride Cracksman. He’s an absolutely brilliant ride to get,”said Kevin O’Ryan, Smullen’s agent. Andre Fabre has confirmed that Waldgeist will take his chance after finishing runnerup in the French version at Chantilly. Aidan O’Brien, who has a record 11 previous winners of the race, has eight running for him which includes Epsom hero Wings Of Eagles. The other Ballydoyle contenders are Capri, Douglas Macarthur, Finn McCool, Spanish Steps, Taj Mahal, The Anvil and Venice Beach. The Jim Bolger-trained Dubai Sand and Grandee from Jessica Harrington’s stable make up the home team. Gosden will be hoping for further success on Sunday as his Journey is among 14 fillies and mares ® confirmed at the latest forfeit stage for the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
She won three of her four starts last season, rounding off her campaign with a Group One victory on Champions Day at Ascot.
She is entitled to improve on her seasonal debut behind Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
There are three British challengers as Journey is joined by Roger Varian’s Nezwaah, who won in an Ayr Listed affair, and Sir Michael Stoute’s Smart Call, who was fourth in last week’s Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Aidan O’Brien has Pocketfullofdreams, Rain Goddess and Somehow as he tries to win the race for the third year running.
Also in the mix are Andrew Slattery’s stable star Creggs Pipes and the Dermot Weldtrained pair Zhukova, who won a Grade One in America last month, and Shamreen, who has not been seen since winning the Blandford Stakes over the course and distance last September.
On the same card Wicklow Brave and British challenger Frontiersman feature in a 14-strong entry for the Comer Group International Curragh Cup.
The Willie Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave won the Punchestown Champion Hurdle on his penultimate start before finishing fourth on his return to the Flat in the Belmont Gold Cup.