Deutsches Derby the target for Willie The Whipper – Horseracing news
Willie The Whipper will be targeting the Deutsches Derby, which is scheduled to be held in July this year.
Revealing his future plans, trainer Ann Duffield said, “He was stone last at one point in France and he ran really well. With a better draw he might well have been in the first three. It is up to the owner and [racing manager] David Redvers where he will
go but the German Derby and the Great Voltigeur Stakes are possible targets with the St Leger a long-term aim.”
After showing a lot of guts in his debut season, Willie The Whipper has been unable to meet the expectations of his camp in 2013. He has been training hard, but the results have not gone in his favour until now.
The three-year-old colt got off to a dream start, winning a couple of races comfortably. His maiden outing saw him dictate terms, succeeding by a staggering distance of eight lengths. This caught the attention of the bookies, so he was given a pretty decent
starting price for his second race.
Once again, the young challenger proved to be highly competitive and ended up winning the event comfortably. Although he failed to complete a hat-trick of victories, he finished the 2012 season on a high, finishing as a runner up in his final appearance
that year.
Things have changed this year though, as Willie The Whipper has finished outside the top-three in both his outings. All his good performances came on heavy tracks, which suggests that he likes the ground to be softer.
Therefore, Duffield will be hoping that the weather comes into play during the Deutsches Derby, which has attracted some high quality performers.
On the other hand, jockey Frankie Dettori has also set his sights on the German event, as he has secured a ride with Night Wish, trained by Wolfgang Figge.
According to Figge, “We rate Night Wish very highly. He hated the ground last time, but we have thought all along that he is a Derby horse and I think he has a realistic chance.”
At the moment, it seems that the three-year-old colt will be unable to attract too many bets in his favour, as he lacks experience. Despite that, his camp will be confident of a strong showing in the Deutsches Derby.
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