The Lingfield Derby Trial has been reduced to just seven runners this Saturday with the surprise withdrawal of the ante-post favourite High Definition from the Aidan O’Brien stables.
Aidan O’Brien withdrew ante post favourite- High Definition (Pic- Coolmore)
The trainer was on record as saying that “His blood count didn’t come back proper”. The unbeaten colt will be monitored daily with the hope that he can run in the Dante at York next week.
Two other Ballydoyle runners have been declared both sired by the champion sire Galileo. Kyprios, with retained rider Ryan Moore in the saddle, has won two of three starts on heavy and good ground and going up in distance this Saturday will be to his advantage. The super sub Frankie Dettori winner for the stable last Sunday on Mother Earth in the 1000 Guineas, rides the stable companion Carlisle Bay.
Godolphin field the Frankel colt Adayar a comfortable 9 length winner at Nottingham on soft going last season. He started his classic campaign in the Sandown Trial Group 3 over 2000m two weeks ago.
A fast finishing second, beaten a half-length, was eye catching considering he was slow away and towards the rear of the field before running on strongly over the final 200m.
Other runners in this contest include the promising Scope trained by Ralph Beckett while Rodger Varian relies on Nottingham winner Third Realm. Solario Stakes winner Etonian will need to rediscover his juvenile form to figure as he and the Andrew Balding trained Recovery Run finished 15 and 18 lengths respectively behind Adayar last time out.
Earlier, nine fillies contest the Oaks Trial Fillies Stakes also over the extended 1 mile and 3 furlongs. Well-bred Frankel and Galileo prospects line up including Galileo’s representative Divinely who is closely related to the Arc winner Found.
Stepping up in trip should suit this Aidan O’Brien runner as her best race last season was her maiden win over a mile at the Curragh in heavy ground.
John Gosden fields two runners with retained jock Frankie Dettori aboard Loving Dream from the family that includes the Derby and Arc winner Workforce. The champion trainer is also represented by the daughter of Frankel, Regent who is related to her stable’s very smart Group 1 winning mare Coronet.
Technique trained by Martyn Meade is currently the favourite for the race based on her great last run when narrowly beaten into second by the progressive Godolphin colt Wirko at Epsom over 2000m. On that run she should take some beating, but with so many opposing fillies being bred for this longer trip, caution is advised.
Interestingly, Charlie Appleby should have a line on the favourite considering his colt beat her last time out and Godolphin have declared the Dubawi filly Nash Nasha who has won the last two of her three starts in style.
