RACING/Budweiser Irish Derby: High Chaparral is an almost unbackable favourite for the Budweiser Irish Derby after yesterday's confirmation that Act One's racing career is over. The French Derby runner-up suffered a hairline fracture of a hind canonbone while exercising and he will be retired to stud.
"It's a shame he did not have the chance to show how good he was overseas but he is expected to make a complete recovery," said Jonathon Pease who trained Act One to win the Prix Lupin in May.
"It was Gerald Leigh's (owner) wish that Act One be syndicated to stand at stud in England after his three-year-old season. Therefore these plans will be brought forward and James Wigan will be handling arrangements for his stud career."
The result of that was just 11 horses left in at yesterday's forfeit stage with High Chaparral heading an entry of six from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard.
One of the entries is Hawk Wing but O'Brien confirmed that colt will be kept for the Coral Eclipse at Sandown. "We often let horses in races. It doesn't mean anything here. Hawk Wing is in full work and the plan is to run the following week," he said.
O'Brien plans to run four in the Irish Derby, including Della Francesca and Ballingarry, but High Chaparral appears to dominate Ireland's premier race to the exclusion of anything else.
The bookmakers certainly think so and Paddy Power make High Chaparral a 2 to 9 favourite to complete the Epsom-Curragh Derby double. Instead, Powers have taken the unusual step of quoting High Chaparral at just 6 to 1 to complete the Irish Derby-King George-Arc de Triomphe treble.
Michael Stoute has left in Princely Venture and Friday's King Edward VII Stakes winner Balakheri as he goes in search of a fourth Irish Derby success after wins with Shergar (1981), Shareef Dancer (1983) and Shahrastani (1986).
Paddy Power bet: 2-9 High Chaparral, 6 In Time's Eye and Balakheri, 16 Ballingarry, 20 Nysaean, 25 Della Francesca and Princely Venture, 40 Jazz Beat and Sholokov, 50 Roar Of The Tiger.
O'Brien also confirmed that Rock Of Gibraltar's attempt at a sixth successive Group One victory would be in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood following his impressive win in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.
The O'Brien-Michael Kinane combination will be at Tipperary rather than Leopardstown this evening where the well bred Yesterday goes in the first.
Kevin Prendergast's run with his juveniles this season is pretty impressive, however, and last week's Naas runner-up Encircle could be the one to be on.
Prendergast runs the newcomer Jakarta Jade in the first at Leopardstown but his runner in the nine-furlong handicap, Business Elite, may have to give best to Royal South.
