Asian Heights is out of the Epsom Derby after sustaining a serious injury on the Newmarket gallops yesterday morning.
Geoff Wragg's colt won the Predominate Stakes at Goodwood last month to earn a quote of 8 to 1 but will now miss the remainder of the season after he split a pastern.
Galileo is now threatening to become the outright favourite for next Saturday's Classic and Aidan O'Brien has added to the increasing confidence surrounding the unbeaten Irish colt by dismissing fears about the ground at Epsom becoming too fast.
Yesterday's defection of Asian Heights resulted in a revamp of the ante-post market and Paddy Power have installed Galileo as their new 5 to 2 joint-favourite with Michael Stoute's Golan.
Dilshaan continues to attract support and the British Tote have cut the other Stoute-trained runner to 9 to 2 from 6 to 1.
The ground at Epsom is currently described as "good to firm" but despite the tendency of Sadler's Wells to sire horses who relish an ease in the going, O'Brien does not expect fast ground to hinder Galileo.
"With this horse, it is a case of the better the ground, the better he will be. I'm not really worried about the going. He is a well balanced and good moving horse and we are very happy with him," O'Brien said yesterday.
In other news, the Leopardstown manager Matt O'Dwyer said yesterday the racecourse authorities are "very close to agreeing a deal" with the Dun LaoghaireRathdown Council over the redevelopment of the track and the progress of the M50 motorway.
A closure of Leopardstown for up to two years has been mentioned but O'Dwyer said yesterday he still holds out hopes that racing will not have to stop at the Co. Dublin track.
The most valuable race of the weekend at home is the £20,000 FBD Handicap at Cork tomorrow and despite incurring a slight injury yesterday, the O'Brien-trained Bonheur is selected to successfully bounce back from a 14th placing in last weekend's 1,000 Guineas.
O'Brien described the filly as "not a definite starter" after picking up a stone bruise but if she recovers and lines out, Bonheur should prove very hard to beat. Her defeat of Alegranza on fast ground at Navan now looks very good.
and she was hardly suited by the ground at the Curragh in the classic. The six furlongs and the "good to firm" ground should be much more suitable and, if getting the green light from her trainer, Bonheur looks a good bet off just 8st 1lb.
