UK flat season.

Cecil wants big run from Oaks hope Timepiece

HENRY CECIL was denied his seventh success in the 1,000 Guineas last Sunday, but is hopeful Timepiece can put him on the road to his ninth Oaks triumph when she lines up in the Totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned filly was beaten on her seasonal return at Newmarket last month, but is clear favourite for the Investec-sponsored Classic on June 4, with Stan James as short as 5-1.

Cecil, whose Jacqueline Quest was deemed to have interfered with Special Duty in the 1,000 Guineas, said: "I'm going there hoping that I have an Oaks filly and she is giving me good vibes."

Of his six Lingfield Oaks Trial winners, two - Ramruma in 1999 and Lady Carla in 1996 - have gone onto win at Epsom and Timepiece has delighted Cecil since her Blue Square Feilden Stakes fourth.

"You can forget her run at Newmarket last time," Cecil added. "She ran okay that day, but the race went wrong for her and she is better than she showed there.

"I've been very pleased with her since, she's in very good form and I'll be disappointed if she doesn't run a big race."

Cecil will also be represented in Lingfield's Totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes by Bullet Train, but it is the appearance of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Desert Myth that could be most informative.


Unraced as a two-year-old, the son of Smart Strike won a decentNewmarket maiden on his debut last month and is 20-1 with Ladbrokes for the Investec Derby on June 5.

Ante-post punters were denied the chance to see Desert Myth in Friday's Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes on account of the Chesterground, but connections are looking forward to Saturday's contest.

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, said: "We were quite impressed with the way he went away on his debut at Newmarket and the race has worked out well with the second winning by ten lengths next time.

"This race will help to tell us how good he is, but if he does win his trial, we'll definitely be going to Epsom. He is potentially a good horse and we think he is better than a handicapper."

Among Desert Myth's opposition are the Aidan O'Brien-trained Captain James Cook and Don Carlos, both around 50-1 for the Derby

Aidan O'Brien mulls two routes for Jan Vermeer


AIDAN O'BRIEN is debating two possible routes for Jan Vermeer, who is second only to stablemate St Nicholas Abbey in some ante-post lists for the Investec Derby.

One option would see Jan Vermeer make his seasonal reappearance in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on May 22 and then go on to contest the EpsomClassic on June 5 for which he is 8-1 joint-second favourite alongside Workforce with Paddy Power.

However, his O'Brien warned on Sunday that the son of Montjeu could miss both races and head straight to France instead.

O'Brien said: "Jan Vermeer has come forward nicely since he worked after racing at the Curragh on Monday. If he is to go to Epsom then we would like to get a run into him and the only suitable race is the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

"However, it isn't certain that he will be aimed at Epsom. He could go instead for the Prix du Jockey Club [on June 13] and if he is to go to Chantilly then he would probably go there without a prep race."

Jan Vermeer beat Sunday's Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Midas Touch twice last season and had him almost six lengths behind in fourth place when winning the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in November.

Speaking of his other Derby possibles, O'Brien revealed that Cape Blanco, unbeaten in three starts last season, remains an intended runner in the Totesport Dante Stakes on Thursday despite a slight scare on Sunday morning.

O'Brien explained: "Cape Blanco nicked the back of a heel while cantering this morning, but it doesn't appear to be anything to worry about.

"Joseph (O'Brien) rode him this morning and he thinks the horse is going to need the run at York and that he will come on for it."

St Nicholas Abbey must step up, says O'Brien


AIDAN O'BRIEN admitted on Monday that Derby favourite St Nicholas Abbey must step up from his Guineas form if he is to triumph at Epsom.

Speaking at a media open day at his Ballydoyle stable, O'Brien reiterated his belief that the StanJames.com 2,000 Guineas was run at too slow a pace for St Nicholas Abbey, who was sent off the evens favourite but could only finish sixth.

And, while backing the Racing Post Trophy winner to bounce back, O'Brien said he accepted St Nicholas Abbey would have to improve before the 1m4f Classic, despite being a best priced 7-2 favourite.

He said: "He has to step up from the Guineas to the Investec Derby but I think it's in there.


"The race at Newmarket was St Nicholas Abbey's first of the season and he was obviously very fresh. He was ready to run a hard mile that day but maybe it wasn't a hard mile and if the pace had been fast and strong his class would have come out.


"He's one of those horses that comes along very few times but I don't want to hype him, I'd rather he does the talking and shows you what he can do."

Ballydoyle jockey Johnny Murtagh, St Nicholas Abbey's regular partner, disputed whether the Guineas performance was as lacklustre as it first appeared.

He said: "I was disappointed immediately after the Guineas but watching the race again it was a good run.

"It was slowly run and I was very happy with the way St Nicholas Abbey stayed on to the line.

"It was his first run of the season and that's just putting all ours right mentally this year.

"He's got the speed, the stamina and he's got everything you need for the [Derby]."

Money comes for Midas Touch in Derby market

THE ante-post market for the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 5 sprang into life on Monday with a major move for the Aidan O'Brien-trained Midas Touch.

Bookmakers were quick to react to the money for the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner who had started to the day at a top price of 16-1 with Ladbrokes, but was as short as 7-1 with the same firm after a day of sustained support.


Boylesports went 7-1 (from 12), Stan James 8 (from 10), Victor Chandler and Paddy Power 8 (from 12) and William Hill 8 (from 16).

Both of O'Brien's previous Derby winners, Galileo in 2001 and High Chaparral the following year, won the Derrinstown en route to their wins at Epsom and Kate Miller, spokeswoman for William Hill, described the money as "sharp".

She said: "Punters clearly expect Midas Touch to strike gold in the Derby after launching into his odds this afternoon.

"The move reinforces the middle-distance strength that Aidan holds this season, and after a quiet start to the season he will be desperate to get his first English Classic in over two years."

There was also money for Midas Touch's stablemate and ante-post favourite St Nicholas Abbey on Monday for the Derby. William Hill andStan James both go 7-4 (from 2).

While O'Brien dominates the market for the colts' Classic, Henry Cecil appears to have plenty of chances for the previous day's fillies' Classic, the Investec Oaks and it was Cecil's Tattersalls Musidora Stakes winner Aviate who proved popular on Monday.

Victor Chandler went 5-1 (from 6), as did Ladbrokes and Stan James. William Hill were 6-1 (from 7) and Paddy Power 6-1 (from .

Rumoush cut after good vibes from Tregoning


RUMOUSH was on Tuesday trimmed at the head of the market for next month's Investec Oaks after trainer Marcus Tregoning said that he is not worried about any of her rivals.

Henry Cecil has shown his strong hand for the Classic on June 4 with the likes of Aviate and Principal Role joining stablemate Timepiece among the more fancied fillies, but after all the trials, Tregoning still believesthe StanJames.com 1,000 Guineas seventh deserves her place as favourite.


He said: "She's grand and I've been very happy with her and she looks a picture.

"She's a big, tall filly but she takes her racing well. All being well the ground should be in her favour unless there's toomuch watering. The long range forecast is pretty dry and that should be alright and it's just whether she handles the undulations.

"She's got to stay and I feel she will. She's got a relaxed nature and she settles into a pace andrhythm where she doesn't do much and relaxes. I'd be surprised if she didn't sit where Richard [Hills] puts her and she should pick up well. If she gets the trip she should run very well," the trainer told At The Races.

"I think it's still pretty open really. I haven't got something that stands out and frightens me. I'm well happy she's in the race and she's there with a leading chance. She deserves her place at the head of the market and I hope she justifies it."

Those sentiments prompted Paddy Power to trim her odds a point into 5-1 market leader, while William Hill saw further support for Cecil's Aviate who is 11-2 from 6.

And Aviate's stablemate Timepiece was also popular and was cut to 15-2 (from 10) by Paddy Power and 9 (from 10) William Hill.

Victor Chandler cut Gertrude Bell to 14-1 (from 16), while William Hill saw moneyfor a couple of Oaks outsiders, going 20-1 (from 33) about Awe Inspiring and 25-1 (from 33) Wedding March.

Sariska 9-4 for further Epsom glory in Cup

SARISKA is as short as 9-4 favourite with Bet365 to claim her second top-flight Epsom triumph by seeing off the boys in next month's Investec Coronation Cup.

Last season's dual-Oaks heroine is expected to revisit the scene of her first Classic victory on June 4, with connections greatly encouraged by her reappearance defeat of old rival Midday in York's Totesport Middleton Stakes.

In their opening show, Totesport narrowly prefer Sariska, whom they make 5-2, to Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup favourite Fame And Glory, quoted for Epsom at 11-4.

His stablemate Age Of Aquarius, also entered for the Gold Cup, is next best at 6-1 along with Godolphin's Cutlass Bay. Bet365 quote Fame And Glory at 5-2.


Sariska's trainer Michael Bell said: "She is absolutely fine and looks in great nick. She is making my job easy at the moment and is still very much on course for Epsom."

High Heeled, third to Sariska at Epsom last year, is also set to return for a contest that has 19 possible runners following the latest forfeit stage.

John Gosden, who has taken over training High Heeled from Barry Hills, said: "We are looking at the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom because she has run well on the track - it is just a question of the ground being right on the day. We are a little bit limited as regards options for a filly whose best form is with some cut in the ground.

"The ground was pretty testing when she beat Harbinger at Newbury last year and she goes through it easily, so that is what we are hoping for."

High Heeled, who worked nicely on Wednesday, will be making her seasonal return having missed the Middleton due to the quick ground.

The Kevin Prendergast-trained Recharge, like Fame And Glory, could head to Epsom via the Curragh on Sunday.

Prendergast said: "He is going to the Tattersalls Gold Cup and we will have to see how he gets on before deciding about Epsom.

"He is working well and has come on a bit, but he would have to if he is to take on Fame And Glory again. He has run twice this season and he ran very well to finish second both times. He is a gross horse and is probably fitter now than he has been at any time in the past year."

Rewilding emerges as big Godolphin Derby hope

Report: Goodwood, Wednesday

Bluesquare.com Cocked Hat Stakes (Listed) 1m3f, 3yo, colts & geldings

REWILDING emerged as Godolphin's main Investec Derby contender after impressing in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

In justifying even-money favouritism, Rewilding earned a quote of 10-1 with Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and Coral for the Epsom Classic, while William Hill and Victor Chandler were more conservative in offering 14-1 and 16-1 respectively.

The Tiger Hill colt, who is a half-brother to classy mare Dar Re Mi, needs to be supplemented for the Derby on June 5 but connections confirmed that is a course of action they are willing to take.

The cost of adding a horse to the Derby at this stage is £75,000, a fee which must be paid by May 31, and Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford said: "The important thing was to see how he handled the undulations at Goodwood and he will be supplemented for the Derby."

Previously in the care of Andre Fabre, the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Rewilding was settled in midfield by Frankie Dettori and quickend smartly to win by four lengths from 20-1 chance Prizefighting. Very Good Day (25-1) ran on to claim third.

Dettori was riding his first British winner Al Zarooni, who told Godolphin's website: "Rewilding was very impressive today and he showed us that he is a horse with a lot of ability.

"He coped with the course very well and I was very pleased with the manner of his victory."

Crisford added: "Frankie was really pleased with him and he won really easily.

"Andre Fabre had a high opinion of him and that's why the horse came across to see if he [Rewilding] would handle the undulations.

"Andre thought he could be a Derby horse but he's only run on flat tracks on soft ground. He's got an excellent temperament and is a half-brother to Dar Re Mi so he'll be better next year."

The last horse to win the Cocked Hat Stakes - then known as the Predominate - and triumph in the Derby was Troy in 1979, while Kris Kin (2003) is the last Derby winner to have been supplemented.

Other Godolphin hopes for Epsom could include Totesport Dante flop Chabal, Simon De Montfort and Al Zir, although Crisford said the latter two may be more suited to the French Derby - the Prix du Jockey Club - at Chantilly on June 6.

He said: "Chabal is a clever horse and I think he wasn't liking the ground at York after threefurlongs - it was very quick there.

"I think that every horse will be taken to Epsom on his own merit. If the ground came up soft, good to soft, or even good, then we will keep Chabal in the picture.

"Simon De Montfort is a possibility for Epsom but I think it is more likely that he will go to France for the Prix du Jockey Club."

Curragh results shake up Derby meeting betting

BETTING on Epsom's three principal races next month, the Derby, Oaks and Coronation Cup, were all shook up by events at the Curragh on Sunday, when four Aidan O'Brien-trained horses enhanced their credentials.

Jan Vermeer's imperious victory in the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes means O'Brien has the first four in the Investec Derby market and William Hill make him 1-2 to train thewinner and 7-2 to have the first three home.

Favourite is the Racing Post Trophy winner St Nicholas Abbey and O'Brien also has Cape Blanco and Midas Touch in the mix, but Jan Vermeer so impressed bookmakers that Ladbrokes went 5-1 second favourite (from 12).

Victor Chandler also make Jan Vermeer their second favourite at 6-1.

Tom Segal's ante-post tip for the Investec Oaks, Remember When, justified his faith with a decent performance to finish fourth in the Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas, staying on well to suggest the 1m4f at Epsom on June 4 would suit.

Bookmakers think it will, with Paddy Power going 8-1 (from 14), although Hills quoted 14-1 (from 20).

Lillie Langtry was a head behind herin fifth and was also cut for the Oaks. Paddy Power went 16-1 (from 25), while Bet365 are even shorter at 14-1.

Fame And Glory was, like Jan Vermeer, an impressive winner - possibly even more so - in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, after which most bookmakers favoured him over Sariska for the Investec Coronation Cup.

Stan James cut him to 2-1 market leader (from 3), while Victor Chandler make the pair 9-4 joint favourites, cutting Fame And Glory from 11-4.

Fame And Glory's Arc odds also shortened, with Paddy Power making him 7-1 favourite (from 12), and Stan James going the same price, but joint-favourite with St Nicholas Abbey.

Fame And Glory a class above in Tatts Gold Cup

Report: Curragh, Sunday

Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1) 1m2½f, 4yo+

FAME AND GLORY completed a big-race double for Aidan O'Brien and Johnny Murtagh when pulverising his rivals to win by seven lengths on Sunday.

O'Brien and Murtagh had teamed up to take the Gallinule Stakes with the impressive Jan Vermeer and the pair had an equally exciting success with Fame And Glory.


The four-year-old son of Montjeu was cut to 5-1 favourite for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by Paddy Power, while Stan James go 7-1 joint-favourite for the Arc.

A beaming O'Brien said: "We're delighted with him and he's come forward from his first run and his second run. The way he travelled and quickened was brilliant.

"He's an amazing horse, he's always been an amazing horse but he's in a different place today. He's really maturingand the beauty of today was the class he showed."

Stan James and Paddy Power both make Fame And Glory the 2-1 favourite for the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom and the trainer added: "We think he might go for the Coronation Cup [on June 4]. I know it's a quick bounce back, but if he's all right he might run."

Dixie Music was rushed into a lead from the stalls and Fame And Glory was positioned a fair way behind him in a clear second by Murtagh.

The gap grew gradually smaller and, turning into the home straight, Murtagh got to work on last year's Irish Derby winner.

Recharge and Chinese White both looked brief threats at this stage but they soon became dots on the horizon as 8-15 favourite Fame And Glory stormed clear to win with his ears pricked.

Recharge could not repeat the feat of his mother Rebelline, the 2002 race winner, but grabbed second ahead of Chinese White.

Prix Ganay winner Cutlass Bay, meanwhile, lost his unbeaten record after never really threatening on his first start for Saeed Bin Suroor, finishing a distant fifth with only Dixie Music behind.

Cutlass Bay's jockey Ahmed Ajtebi blamed the ground for the defeat and said: "I could feel cantering downto the start that he was not happy. The pace was solid, but I had nothing in my hands coming round the bend and I was out in the field with six furlongs to run."

Delzangles: Makfi prep going well for rematch


TRAINER Mikel Delzangles on Monday reported StanJames.com 2,000 Guineas winner Makfi in fine shape as he prepares him for round two in his battle with Richard Hannon's top three-year-old milers at Royal Ascot.

Makfi, purchased for 26,000gns at last year's Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training sale, beat Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs by a length and a quarter and half a length at Newmarket, since when the runner-up has filled the same spot in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, and the third has romped home in the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Delzangles said at Saint-Cloud: "I saw both the Poulains and the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and this confirms the form of Makfi.

"Makfi is in very good shape and his preparation is going perfectly for the St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot.

"Following his win at Newmarket, I think the colt knows he is now a racehorse."

Coral make Canford Cliffs 7-4 favourite for the St James's Palace, with Makfi 2-1, and Dick Turpin at 5-1, along with Steinbeck.

The firm's David Stevens said on Monday: "The St James's Palace Stakes promises to be a mouth-watering rematch of the 2,000 Guineas, and although Canford Cliffs was only third at Newmarket, he won with such authority at the Curragh on Saturday that we favour him to gain his revenge on both Makfi and his stablemate Dick Turpin."

Support continues for Derby possible Vermeer

JAN VERMEER'S position as second favourite for the Investec Derby hardened on Tuesday as the ante-post market continued to speak in favour of the colt running at Epsom.

Despite a run in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly also being considered, Sunday's impressive Gallinule Stakes winner was cut again by bookmakers for the Epsom showpiece.


As big as 20-1 in a place before he made his Curragh reappearance, Jan Vermeer is now 11-2 (from 13-2) with Totesport and 6-1 (from 7) with Paddy Power.



Power spokesman Paddy Power said: "After Jan Vermeer's impressive romp in the Gallinule, Aidan warned that he might miss the Derby in favour of the French equivalent 24 hours' later. The 'sharp' money that we've seen would indicate that he is Epsom bound."

St Nicholas Abbey remains clear favourite for the Derby and Ladbrokes reported the Racing Post Trophy winner was the firm's best backed horse in the Derby market.

"We eased St Nick on the back of Jan Vermeer's impressive weekend win and the punters have taken the bait," said spokesman David Williams. "The 2-1 (was 7-4) is unlikely to last much longer as fans of the favourite continue to back him."

The horse with the pearl earring ?