Golden Horn, the hot favourite for Saturday’s Derby, shortened significantly in the betting on Thursday as one of his main rivals dropped out and connections of two others fretted over the likely state of the going. John Gosden’s colt was no bigger than 13-8 for the Epsom Classic on Thursday night, having been available at 2-1 earlier in the day.
His position was bolstered in the morning when the plug was finally pulled on Zawraq’s participation, the Irish horse having gone lame on Tuesday. Angus Gold, speaking for Zawraq’s owner, Sheikh Hamdan, said the colt had “moved beautifully” in a piece of work but “was definitely not right again” on returning to Dermot Weld’s yard.
Zawraq had been second-favourite until news of his injury broke. That position has now been taken by Jack Hobbs, a stablemate of Golden Horn at Gosden’s yard, but the trainer revealed he is not yet a certain starter either, due to concern that drying ground would not suit.
“If it is sunny and breezy, I would be concerned,” Gosden said through Godolphin’s website. He added that he would walk the course on Saturday before reaching a final decision.
“Jack Hobbs is a grand, scopey, rangy individual, who should improve with age. The Derby comes soon enough for him. He is a talented individual, who I hope will be racing at four and five.”
Elm Park, fourth in the Derby betting, is another horse whose chance would have been improved by some rain this week but his trainer, Andrew Balding, nevertheless committed the horse to the race. “I’m sure it will be safe ground,” he said. “There’s not a lot I can do. It’s just que sera sera.”
Balding expressed hope that the thunderstorms moving north over Europe on Thursday would hit Epsom on Friday morning but that prospect is receding according to Andrew Cooper, the clerk of the course. “The latest forecasts suggest that the line of storms may miss us,” he said. “We’re likely to get some rain, according to the Met Office, but the question of volume is very hard to predict. It might only be 2mm.” Cooper may water parts of the track on Friday if no rain appears.
Legatissimo is the 3-1 outright favourite for Friday’s Oaks, in which her jockey, Ryan Moore, is trying to maintain his grip on this year’s Classics, having won both of last month’s Guineas. But she must start from stall one against the inside rail, from which no Oaks winner has emerged for a quarter of a century.
The filly must also prove her stamina for this trip, having never raced beyond a mile, but her trainer, David Wachman, gave an upbeat assessment. “I always felt a mile would be as short as she would ever go,” he said. “It will be interesting to see her over the longer trip. She is definitely stronger now. I’m happy with her and we’ve had no setbacks so far.”
There was less positivity at Ascot after the American star California Chrome, being prepared for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting later this month, coped well with the unfamiliar track in a gallop under Frankie Dettori. Alan Sherman, son of the chestnut’s trainer, Art, made it clear that the horse had only come at the owners’ insistence.
“Obviously, we’d rather be home and running there,” Sherman said, adding that California Chrome’s visit would probably be for one race only, with the Arlington Million as his next intended target. The ride on the colt at Ascot is up for grabs as Dettori is committed to Western Hymn.
