Finn McCool was the only absentee from the five-day field when the final declarations were made for the Investec Derby, which leaves 19 runners for Saturday’s Classic, the largest since a maximum field of 20 went to post in 2003.
That line-up also includes the 1,000-1 no-hoper Diore Lia, who has been declared to be ridden by apprentice Paddy Pilley, after the British Horseracing Authority informed Richard Aylward, the filly’s owner, on Wednesday evening that it would not accept a declaration for his preferred jockey, Gina Mangan. Aylward seemed to suggest on Wednesday night that Diore Lia would miss the race if Mangan could not ride, but he seems to have had second thoughts as the filly is running in an attempt to raise money for Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital.
Pilley, while also an apprentice, has far more experience than Mangan, having ridden 34 winners in his career to date. He has not managed to win in four starts at Epsom, but unlike Mangan, he does at least have experience of the track.
“The horse is declared to run,” Aylward told the Racing Post this morning. “How could I stop the horse running when there have been donations coming from America? The charity is the number one. That’s why I started this over a year ago. They are not stopping us running over this.”
“Poor Gina has been crying up in the yard. I am disgusted with the BHA for what they have done. It was OK for Victoria Pendleton to go round Cheltenham after riding a bike all her life. It’s elitist.
“The horse is 52-rated. There have been loads of other low-rated horses [in the Derby]. She is an improver. She is not going to come last. All I can hope for now is she runs a great race and does me proud.”
The news of the BHA’s decision regarding Mangan was an about-turn by the BHA and its chief regulatory officer, Jamie Stier, who said on Monday that there was nothing in the Rules of Racing to prevent Mangan riding in the Derby. Two days later, he came up with just such a rule – that the Authority can “exercise its discretion” and refuse to accept a declared jockey.
That said, while the rule in question – Rule 83 – has been described, quite fairly, as “little known”, the fact remains that it is in the book. While on the face of it, Mangan’s licence allows her to ride in everything from a seller to a Classic, the Authority still retains a final say and in this particular case, it has chosen to exercise it.
Ryan Moore, in his column for the Betfair website, supported the BHA’s move this morning.
“They have done the right thing by the horse, Diore Lia,” Moore said, “and, while Gina Mangan may not appreciate it at the moment, they have done the right thing by the jockey, too.
“This is a dangerous game, as we unfortunately see far too often, and you simply couldn’t allow an inexperienced horse and rider to be placed into the situation that they would have been at Epsom on Saturday. Who is to say what would have happened in front of a massive, worldwide TV audience? More than anything, the BHA has done the correct thing for the horse and jockey, as much as the sport and the other participants in the race.
“In this game you can’t take safety for granted, and you would have been asking the horse and jockey to do something at Epsom that they simply weren’t equipped to do. And whether or not the horse should even be allowed to run with an experienced jockey on board is highly debatable, too. It is not quite like turning up at the start of a Formula One race driving a tractor, but it isn’t far off.”
Spatial, who promised to be one of the better juvenile fillies in 2016 but proved disappointing in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile last October, makes her three-year-old debut on an excellent card at Chelmsford City this evening. She is a little weak in the market this morning, however, and has little in hand of either Illaunmore (7.40) or Amabilis on ratings. David Egan, a promising 7lb claimer, is down to ride Illaunmore for John Gosden and she is a fair price at around 4-1.
Tricorn (7.10) should continue his progress on the same card, while Indian Giver (4.30), a course and distance winner last year from a 3lb higher mark, can get back to winning ways at Hamilton after a promising run over a furlong shorter trip last time out.
Desert Explorer (3.40) should get off the mark for the in-form Even Johnson Houghton stable at Lingfield, while Pavillon (3.50) will take all the beating in the best race on the card at Wolverhampton this afternoon.
Thursday’s tips, by Greg Wood
Lingfield Park: 1.40 Not After Midnight, 2.10 She Believes, 2.40 Always Thankful, 3.10 Pondering, 3.40 Desert Explorer, 4.10 Rotherwick, 4.40 Epsom Secret, 5.10 Zubaidah
Hamilton Park: 2.00 Villa Tora, 2.30 Noah Amor, 3.00 Control Centre, 3.30 Kingthistle, 4.00 Titi Makfi, 4.30 Indian Giver, 5.00 Tread Lightly
Wolverhampton: 1.50 Menelik, 2.20 World Power, 2.50 My Girl Maisie, 3.20 La Vie En Rose, 3.50 Pavillon (nb), 4.20 Kafeel, 4.50 Makhfar, 5.20 Air Of York
Chelmsford City: 6.10 Emilia James, 6.40 Excellent George, 7.10 Tricorn (nap), 7.40 Illaunmore, 8.10 Buxted Dream, 8.40 Cape Peninsular, 9.10 Master Dancer
Newcastle: 6.20 London Glory, 6.50 Enjoy Life, 7.20 Almane, 7.50 Mulligatawny, 8.20 Hadley, 8.50 Poppy In The Wind
Ffos Las: 6.00 Jonagold, 6.30 Belmount, 7.00 Ascendant, 7.30 Prettylittlething, 8.00 Hint Of Grey, 8.30 Pongo Twistleton, 9.00 Powderonthebonnet
