RAIN BOOST FOR HARZAND

The prospect of rain at the Curragh ahead of Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby has seen Coral push harzand back into favouritism.

The Dermot Weld-trained Investec Derby winner is now 6-5 to complete the Derby double, with Aidan O’Brien’s US Army Ranger, the colt which chased him home at epsom, eased to 11-8.

The first three past the post at epsom are due to face each other again, with O’Brien due to run epsom third Idaho as well as Port Douglas and Shogun, who finished 14th and 15th respectively. O’Brien said: ‘US Army Ranger and Idaho are our main two. They seem to be in good form since epsom and have come out of their races well. The ground was on the slow side at epsom, which is always a help for them to recover.’

O’Brien-trained Deauville, 11th in the Derby, could run in the Coral eclipse Stakes at Sandown the following week.

epsom fourth Wings Of Desire, trained by John Gosden, is also set to miss the Classic in favour of a run in the Grand Prix de Paris, but ed Dunlop’s Red Verdon, the Derby fifth, is a possible starter.