Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
High Definition gets his chance in Irish Derby
High Definition will start favored in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at The Curragh, three weeks after he was expected to have a similar role in the English Derby at Epsom Racecourse.
In a surprise, trainer Aidan O’Brien omitted High Definition from the final entries of the English Derby.
In the $1.19 million Irish Derby at 1 1/2 miles, High Definition will be tested against 10 rivals, including Mojo Star and Hurricane Lane, who were second and third in the English Derby at 1 1/2 miles. High Definition was the 8-5 favorite with bookmakers as of Thursday.
Owned by the Coolmore syndicate and Georg von Opel, High Definition was unbeaten in two starts at 2 in 2020, including the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at a mile at The Curragh. A colt by Galileo, High Definition was the future-book favorite for the English Derby over the winter, but finished third in his only start this year in the Group 2 Dante Stakes on May 13 at York, losing by two lengths to Hurricane Lane.
O’Brien has five of the 11 runners in the Irish Derby, although the other four are outsiders. O’Brien has won the Irish Derby a record 14 times, including three of the last four runnings. O’Brien’s son Joseph won the 2018 Irish Derby with Latrobe.
Mojo Star, winless after three starts, achieved a 50-1 surprise second in his stakes debut in the English Derby, finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind Adayar. Trained by Richard Hannon, Mojo Star was 5-1 on Thursday, the same price as Hurricane Lane, who is trained by Charlie
Appleby for Godolphin Racing.
Hurricane Lane was beaten 7 3/4 lengths in the English Derby and was reported to have lost both of his front shoes in the running, according to a veterinary report.
Mojo Star and Hurricane Lane are the English shippers for the Irish Derby. Aside from High Definition, the home team’s chances include Mac Swiney, winner of the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in May who was fourth in the English Derby; Earlswood, trained by former jockey Johnny Murtagh; and Fernando Vichi, trained by O’Brien’s son Donnacha.
Fernando Vichi won the listed Nijinsky Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on June 3 at Leopardstown. Earlswood won the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on May 23 at The Curragh, beating Arturo Toscanini, one of Aidan O’Brien’s hopes in the Irish Derby.
Murtagh won the Irish Derby four times as a rider, twice for Aidan O’Brien, in 2009 on Fame and Glory and the following year on Cape Blanco.