Monterosso seeks supplementary benefit
Having reacquainted himself with the surroundings of a winner’s enclosure during the final two days of the Royal Ascot meeting, Aidan O’Brien now seeks to maintain his dominance of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
O'Brien has a strong hand as he bids to win the race for an eighth time – including a one-to-three in 2002 and 2007 - and a fifth time in succession at the Curragh on Sunday. Ballydoyle could be represented by Jan Vermeer, the beaten favourite in the Derby at Epsom three weeks ago, as well as At First Sight, Bright Horizon, Cape Blanco and Midas Touch.
At First Sight did the Derby form little service, perhaps still recovering from his exertions in coming seven lengths runner-up to Workforce at Epsom, when he finished only fourth in the King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot on Friday a race which advertised the rapid progress of Monterosso.
The colt, who was registering his fifth win from seven starts this year, which have taken him from a maiden on the Polytrack at Lingfield in January to that Group Two victory and now an opportunity to be tested with the best. He runs in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, the son of Sheikh Mohammed, and the Dubawi colt has now been supplemented for the Irish Classic at a cost of €150,000.
All of which offers an interesting turn in terms of jockey bookings. Frankie Dettori has taken the ride on Monterosso for his last three runs and was clearly won over by Mark Johnston's runner after his latest win. “We’ve stepped him up in distance, he keeps improving and I thought it was a tremendous performance today and perhaps a pop at the Irish Derby could be on the cards,” he said. “He is still learning and he was running about but that is a good sign as it means that he is not quite tired yet.”
Godolphin’s indefatigable pursuit of the glittering prizes means they may also be represented, having left Chabal, a colt who promised so much but then failed to deliver on fast ground in the Dante Stakes at York last month, but looks unlikely to be partnered by Dettori if both colts run.
Another British-trained contender is Coordinated Cut, who has proved something of an enigma.
He was being backed for the Derby even before he made a winning debut at Doncaster last September, and then flopped abjectly when only 10th of 11 behind St Nicholas Abbey in the Racing Post Trophy at the same track the following month.
His owner Lawrie Inman switched Coordinated Cut from Peter Chapple-Hyam to Michael Bell for the start of this season and the sings were promising when he won the Tattersalls Timeform 3-Y-O Trophy over a mile-and-a-quarter at Newmarket in April before coming home third to Cape Blanco in the Group Two Dante Stakes at York the following month. Coordinated Cut was only seventh to Workforce in the Derby and Bell believes that the Montjeu colt can prove himself capable at that level if he can pull everything together.
“He’s running in the Irish Derby this weekend and is in good form at present,” Bell said. “The track at the Curragh will suit him much better than Epsom, so hopefully we’ll be able to get a true handle on what real level of ability he has.”
A positive performance would make Bell consider an entry for the Ladbrokes St Leger even though there would be some doubts in terms of stamina. “He won at Doncaster as a two-year-old, so the question regarding the St Leger is whether he will truly stay a mile-and-six-furlongs,” Bell explained. On pedigree, that is open to debate, so it will be interesting to see how well he stays on at the Curragh. How well he gets a stiff mile-and-a-half there will be a key as to whether the St Leger is the race we target.
“He’s out of an Arazi mare, so there is a bit of speed on the dam’s side. He doesn’t smell of being a mile-and-three-quarters horse on the dam’s side but he is a big, long, scopey horse, so he may well stay, although there are no guarantees.”
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