Who'll reign at the Epsom Derby?
Derby form guide
Just when Mick Kinane had settled on riding ante-post favourite Hawk Wing rather than stablemate High Chaparral in tomorrow's £1.38 million Vodafone Derby, rain nearly eroded his resolution.
After fending off one extreme when watering four days ago to maintain good going, Epsom's ground staff must now deal with another. The course is currently described as 'good to soft , soft in places' after taking 37mm of rain within the space of 17 hours on Wednesday, with a further 3.5mm last night. Stamina was already the concern about Hawk Wing, so unlucky to lose the 2,000 Guineas to stable companion Rock Of Gibraltar. More testing conditions only exacerbate the problem.
Coolmore counterpart High Chaparral won a Group One on heavy ground last year and looked less than comfortable on a truly fast surface on his latest start. Kinane was declared to ride Hawk Wing at 1pm yesterday.
That's the end of the matter. Racing's other superpower, Godolphin, and retained jockey Frankie Dettori, still seek their first Derby success. Some Maktoum family members have lifted the trophy in the past, but if Dettori's mount Naheef or Moon Ballad - under Jamie Spencer - were to triumph, it would be a first for the boys in blue.
Middleham trainer Mark Johnston is increasingly a big player at the highest class. He's also a revolutionary. His claim that the Derby entry-system discriminates against small-scale owners and risks excluding the best horses is this year's hottest racing debate. Hence Bandari and Fight Your Corner weren't even entered in the Derby until a change of ownership. Money is less an object for their new connections, so they were supplemented at a cost of £90,000 each. Johnston prefers Bandari, but Kevin Darley has always favoured his stablemate. Will it be an unlikely 1-2 for the progressive Scot?
Derby form guide
