ALESSANDRO VOLTA'S odds for the Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday began to tumble on Thursday night after it emerged that Johnny Murtagh had opted to ride the Derby sixth insteadof Washington Irving, who was fifth at Epsom.
The pair are set to be among five Aidan O'Brien-trained colts declared this morning for Sunday's Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Classic, and news of Murtagh's selection ?revealed on racingpost.co.uk ?began filtering through to the market last night.
Coral now go 9-1 (from 14) about Murtagh and O'Brien landing another Group 1. The pair have combined to win nine already this year, including four at Royal Ascot last week.
幈n seeing the news on the Racing Post's website we took evasive action,?said Coral's David Stevens.
幈bviously, Johnny Murtagh is in top form and any decision he makes we're going to respect, and would expect punters to follow accordingly. That he has chosen to ride Alessandro Volta,we view as highly significant.?
Murtagh, who will be attempting to win the Classic for the third time after scoring on the John Oxx-trained pair Sinndar (2000) and Alamshar (2003), won the Lingfield Derby Trial on Alessandro Volta but then deserted him in favour of King Of Rome, runner-up in the Lingfield race, for the Derby. That colt finished 12th of the 16 runners behind New Approach.
Explaining his decision, Murtagh, who exercised all five of the Ballydoyle contenders on Wednesday morning, said: 𨧻 have decided to ride Alessandro Volta as I thought he ran very well to finish sixth in the Derby, and I think the Curragh track will suit him better than Epsom did.?
Seamie Heffernan, who rode Alessandro Volta at Epsom and won last year's Irish Derby on Soldier Of Fortune, partners Frozen Fire, the Dante runner-up who finished only 11th at Epsom, while Colm O'Donoghue will again be on board Washington Irving, the best of O'Brien's runners in the Epsom Classic, finishing a short head in front of Alessandro Volta.
David McCabe will partner Hindu Kush, with Seanie Leavy on recent Down Royal maiden winner Bashkirov.
幞ow it's our turn,?was the bring-it-on message from connections of Tartan Bearer on Thursday, with the colt ready to lock horns with Derby conqueror New Approach.
Peter Reynolds, racing manager to Tartan Bearer's owner Ballymacoll Stud, described the Irish Derby rematch as akin to a 𢖯enalty shootout??in other words, anyone's game.
The Derby runner-up, secondfavourite for Sunday's rematch at around 3-1, while New Approach is a shade of odds-on, is likely to have one final blowout in Newmarket this morning before departing for Ireland. He was given light exercise on Thursday morning and his preparation for Sunday appears to be going very much to plan.
Reynolds said on Thursday: 㜁e were absolutely delighted with Tartan Bearer at Epsom ?he ran a wonderful race. He hasn't got that much experience and is learning all the time and, hopefully, he will confirmthat impression at the Curragh on Sunday.?
Speaking to At The Races, Reynolds said: 𨧻t's not a race, it's a penalty shootout. Kevin got the first one in, now it's our turn.
𨧻 can't see any reason why we shouldn't have a wonderful opportunity. The Curragh is a flat, galloping track, which will suit our horse, and the ground should be perfect. It's a long time since we won the Irish Derby with Troy in 1979, and we deserve another chance.?
Tartan Bearer's trainer Sir Michael Stoute underlined his belief that the ground at the Curragh would not pose a problem to the colt, regardless of the conditions he faces this weekend.
Stoute, who arrived back from a short break in Majorca on Wednesday, said: 孏artan Bearer cantered this morning and is fine. The ground in Ireland wouldn't be a worry to him ?he'll go on anything.?
