Racing:Johnny Murtagh has confirmed he will partner Cape Blanco instead of Jan Vermeer in Sunday's €1.25 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh as he pursues a fourth victory in Ireland's premier Classic.
All 11 horses have stood their ground at the final declaration stage and Aidan O’Brien holds plenty of aces in his five-strong pack as he bids for a fifth successive win in Ireland’s number one Classic and his eighth in total.
Three of his team ran in the Epsom Derby — At First Sight finishing second at 100-1, the favourite Jan Vermeer fourth and Midas Touch fifth.
Cape Blanco disappointed in the French Derby after beating subsequent Epsom hero Workforce in the Dante Stakes at York, but Murtagh clearly feels he is the one to beat.
“It was a tough decision. For some reason he didn’t run well in France. I got bumped out at the top of the straight and that knocked him off balance and he never got really into his stride,” the jockey said today.
“We saw him in a different light in the Dante. He won very well that day and I think we have him back to his best. Picking between him and Jan Vermeer was a very tough decision, but I’ve gone with him now and on Sunday we’ll see what happens.
“The Dante form looks good. I suppose Workforce has stepped up a lot in the Derby, but that day my horse ran really well. It felt like a good race on the day and he stretched out.
“Hopefully he’s back to that form and I’m looking forward to the Irish Derby.”
Monterosso, winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, was supplemented for €150,000 euros at Tuesday’s confirmation stage and will again be ridden by Frankie Dettori.
Monterosso, trained by Mark Johnston, has come through the ranks in spectacular fashion after opening his account in a maiden on the all-weather at Lingfield in January.
He’s been showing all the right signs since Ascot. Everything’s perfect, touch-wood,” said Johnston. “It’s a tall order for a horse to climb from handicaps to the Irish Derby in such a short space of time but he looks the part and the way he won at Ascot the form of that race puts him right there.
“He still showed greenness but he gets better with every run. He really looks the part now.”