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| Investec Derby Festival 2013 |
Epsom Derby
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Investec Specialist Bank ‘Dash’, run over the fastest five furlongs in the world at Epsom Downs on Investec Derby Day, Saturday, June 1.
Epsom Downs specialist La Fortunata, trained by Mike Murphy, went close to winning the 2013 Investec Derby Festival. The daughter of Lucky Story has not finished out of the first four in five starts at Epsom Downs and was narrowly denied when beaten a short-head by the Ted Powell-trained Ajjaadd (14/1 with Coral) in a thrilling renewal of the Investec Wealth & Investment Handicap over the same course and distance at the Investec Spring Meeting on April 24. Murphy said: “I am pleased with La Fortunata. She takes a while to recover after her races because she is not the biggest filly in the world but she has recovered reasonably well since her run last week. “We will give her a couple of weeks’ break and then the intention is to go straight for the Investec Specialist Bank ‘Dash’. “We thought she would need the run last week but she ran a cracking race and if all goes according to plan, she ought to give a good of herself on Derby Day. The handicapper has put her up three pounds for that second last week, which is slightly against us, but she should get in off a nice weight and that will suit her. “She is extremely well-balanced and has done well at the track before because she handles the undulations better than the bigger horses. “We call her the pocket rocket because she is only small, but she hits the stalls really well and you need to do that in a five-furlong race. Obviously, you need a good draw and luck in running but you need to be in it to win as they say.”
Dow said: “Fair Value has done really well over the winter and is being aimed at the Investec Specialist Bank ‘Dash’. “She will have her first run of the season at Goodwood on Saturday and I would expect her to come on for that. “She seems to enjoy running at Epsom and it is right on our doorstep. She has bags of speed and is probably better over five furlongs. The ground is not that important to her but she wouldn’t want it soft.” The entries also feature last year’s shock winner Stone Of Folca (12/1 co favourite), who belied his odds of 50/1 for trainer John Best. The Hucking handler could also run Lupo d’Oro. Tim Easterby enjoyed a memorable one-two in 2011 when Captain Dunne defied top-weight and a late thrust from stable companion Confessional (16/1) to score by a neck. The pair are among Easterby’s quartet and could be ed by Ponty Acclaim and Hazelrigg.
Newmarket trainer Stuart Williams has won two of the last six renewals with Hogmaneigh (2007) and Bertoliver (2010), and his three possible representatives include Tarooq (16/1), who has won five of his last six starts. Italian imports Pandar and Jiroft are two of three possible starters for Robert Cowell. The latter is yet to run in Britain but showed a high level form in Italy and won a Listed contest at San Siro in April last year. Leading owner Dr Marwan Koukash could launch a three-pronged attack with Group Two victor Masamah, Jamie Osborne’s Portland Handicap runner-up Face The Problem (12/1 co favourite), and Tango Sky. Henry Candy has made a fine start to the turf season and could saddle Dinkum Diamond (16/1), while Duke Of Firenze (16/1) could be a rare runner in the Investec Specialist Bank ‘Dash’ for Sir Michael Stoute. Other notable entries are last year’s Group One Nunthorpe Stakes fourth Humidor (14/1), Brian Meehan’s classy Ballesteros (20/1) and Group Two runner-up Stepper Point from the stable of William Muir. The in-form yard of David O’Meara could be represented by Smoothtalkinrascal (12/1 co favourite), a close second at SandownPark on April 26. There are also two Irish-trained entries in the form of Nero Emperor, from the stable of Tommy Stack, and All Ablaze, who is chasing a four-timer for Damian English. Investec Dash – Coral bet: 12 Face The Problem, Masamah, Smoothtalkinrascal, Stone Of Folca, 14 Ajjaadd, Annunciation, Humidor, Long Awaited, 16 Captain Dunne, Confessional, Dinkum Diamond, Duke Of Firenze, La Fortunata, Tarooq, Mister Manannan, 20 Ballesteros, Fair Value, Swiss Cross, Last Sovereign, Top Cop, Strange Magic, 25 Bar THE INVESTEC SPECIALIST BANK ‘DASH’ Class 2, 100,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.15pm, Saturday, June 1, 2013. Five furlongs. For three-year-olds and upwards. Weights: highest weight not less than 9st 10lb; lowest weight 8st. Penalties: after May 4, a winner 4lb; a winner of 2 races 7lb. Entries closed April 30, entries revealed May 1 (59 entries). Weights revealed May 8, scratchings deadline May 14, five-day confirmation stage May 27, final declaration stage 10.00am, May 30. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, April 29. Form Horse Age Owner Trainer 35(3)(5)(3)-1 AJJAADD (USA) 7 Katy & Lol Pratt Ted Powell 3(0)01(1)-(1) ALL ABLAZE (IRE) 3 Joseph English Damian English IRE 0103-(0)1 ANNUNCIATION 3 MiddlehamPark Racing XXXIX & James Pak Richard Hannon 22(2)-(0)40 ASK THE GURU 3 Canisbay Bloodstock Michael Attwater 113640- BALLESTEROS 4 Poilin Good Brian Meehan 222-(1)62 BISPHAM GREEN 3 David Armstrong Richard Fahey (0)-(5)(1)(2)(4)0 BLUE JACK 8 Darren Hudson-Wood Stuart Williams 000(0)-25 CADEAUX PEARL 5 Paul Dixon Scott Dixon 000020- CAPTAIN DUNNE (IRE) 8 MiddlehamPark Racing XV & Partners Tim Easterby 14532-1 CHEWOREE 4 S Stoneham,E Van Cutsem, A Hoctor-Duncan David Elsworth 4200(1)-0 CHURCH MUSIC (IRE) 4 JCG Chua & CK Ong Michael Scudamore (1)131-20 COME ON DAVE (IRE) 4 MiddlehamPark Racing XLIV David Nicholls 44-0054 CONFESSIONAL 6 Terry & Margaret Holdcroft Tim Easterby (4)(0)(1)(1)(0)2 CREW CUT (IRE) 5 Coral Champions Club Jeremy Gask 015200- DAM BEAUTIFUL 4 Mrs J Ryan Kevin Ryan 605310- DINKUM DIAMOND (IRE) 5 Eight Star Syndicate Henry Candy 3005(1)(6)- DOCTOR PARKES 7 Mrs S Mason & Partners Stuart Williams (4)(4)(3)(4)(0)0 DORBACK 6 Sara Hattersley David Nicholls 01265-0 DUKE OF FIRENZE 4 CheveleyPark Stud Sir Michael Stoute 0002-00 EXCEL BOLT 5 Elders, Turton, Rhodes & Smart Bryan Smart 122215- FACE THE PROBLEM (IRE) 5 Dr Marwan Koukash Jamie Osborne 016200- FAIR VALUE (IRE) 5 Don & Val Churston Simon Dow 03350-0 FITZ FLYER (IRE) 7 Mike Browne David Nicholls 32U(0)0-0 FLASH CITY (ITY) 5 Ceffyl Racing Bryan Smart 100000- HAZELRIGG (IRE) 8 The Senators Tim Easterby 640-642 HUMIDOR (IRE) 6 M Khan X2 George Baker 06001-6 INDIAN TRAIL 13 Martin Love David Nicholls 110303- JIROFT (ITY) 6 Thomas Morley & Speedlic Racing Robert Cowell 003006- JUDGE ‘N JURY 9 Robert & Nina Bailey Ronald Harris 10456-2 LA FORTUNATA 6 James Patton Mike Murphy (6)(2)(4)(5)-22 LAST SOVEREIGN 9 Richard Walker Ollie Pears 004132- LONG AWAITED (IRE) 5 Peter Jones David Barron 50201-5 LUPO D’ORO (IRE) 4 S Malcolm M Winwright P Tindall John Best 31500-4 MAJESTIC MANANNAN (IRE) 4 Mark & Maureen Schofield David Nicholls 032025- MASAMAH (IRE) 7 Dr Marwan Koukash Marco Botti 3/0000-1 MISTER MANANNAN (IRE) 6 Mrs M Schofield David Nicholls (1)(3)-(4)(2)(1)3 MY SON MAX 5 Racing To The Max P J O’Gorman 4(0)(1)/(0)-0 NERO EMPEROR (IRE) 4 Pension Fund Syndicate Tommy Stack IRE 54230-4 NORMAL EQUILIBRIUM 3 Qatar Racing Limited Robert Cowell 005-000 PABUSAR 5 Ken Gundlach Jamie Osborne 2320(0)-5 PANDAR 4 The Morley Family Robert Cowell 003300- PONTY ACCLAIM (IRE) 4 Calvert, O’Neill & Partner Tim Easterby 0(5)(0)(0)(2)(0)- POWERFUL WIND (IRE) 4 Anthony Cooke Ronald Harris (5)3-40 QUEEN FLUSH (IRE) 3 T Marnane & C Mills A Fallon G Purchase David Nicholls 203-(4)(1)5 SANDFRANKSKIPSGO 4 Peter Crate Peter Crate 1060-12 SMOOTHTALKINRASCAL (IRE) 3 MiddlehamPark Racing XXXVIII David O’Meara 00000-5 STEPPER POINT 4 Clive Edginton William Muir 100052- STONE OF FOLCA 5 Folkestone Racecourse Owners Group John Best 02550-0 STORM MOON (USA) 3Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Mark Johnston 600124- STRANGE MAGIC (IRE)3 MiddlehamPark Racing LX Richard Fahey (0)(5)(0)(0)64 SWISS CROSS 6 Steve Jakes Phil McEntee 2230-(0)5 TAAJUB (IRE) 6 Peter Crate Peter Crate (0)(0)-(4)(6)0(1) TANGO SKY (IRE) 4 Dr Marwan Koukash David Nicholls (1)-(1)(1)(1)(1)(3) TAROOQ (USA) 7 H Chamberlain, I Pearce Stuart Williams 10020-0 TAX FREE (IRE) 11 David Nicholls & Mrs J Love David Nicholls 0040-63 THREES GRAND 3 Paul Dixon & Jayne Jackson Scott Dixon 06(3)(0)-(0)4 TITUS GENT 8 The Rock & Rollers Jeremy Gask 0/03000- TOP COP 4 Jeff Smith Andrew Balding 5006-(0)(0) VERINCO 7 Bryan Smart Bryan Smart 59 entries 2 Irish-trained |
