Four bites at Derby for Godolphin

GODOLPHIN, who landed the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury for the eighth time with Richard Fahey-trained Ribchester, could potentially still have four runners in the Investec Derby on June 3.

John Ferguson, chief executive to Sheik Mohammed’s organisation, said Epsom remains an option for Saeed Bin Suroor’s Dubai Thunder, a 10-length winner on his debut at Newbury in Friday.

The Godolphin Derby candidates also include Bin Suroor’s Lingfield Derby Trial winner Best Solution and Dante Stakes runner-up Benbatl and Hugo Palmer-trained Best Of Days. Ferguson said: ‘It is good to be in a position where we have some genuine chances.’

Ribchester will be heading to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot next month after a decisive three-and-threequarter length win in the Lockinge under William Buick.

David Simcock pair Lightning Spear and Breton Rock were second and third respectively.

Fahey conceded he had been nervous before the race and his mood would not have been helped when Ribchester’s pacemaker Toscanini missed the break and was never out of eighth and last place.

But Ribchester made up for it all. Fahey said: ‘He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained.’