Aidan O'Brien has finalised his jockey bookings for Saturday's Investec Derby at Epsom, with Ryan Moore picking up the mount on Geoffrey Chaucer.
Coolmore confirmed Moore would be riding Geoffrey Chaucer, who finished a promising third on his comeback in the Derrinstown Derby Trial and has been well-backed in recent weeks. As expected, Joseph O’Brien maintains his partnership with the favourite Australia, while Séamie Heffernan is aboard the Chester Vase winner Orchestra and Colm O’Donoghue is on Dee Stakes winner Kingfisher.
Michael Stoute’s Snow Sky has suffered a scare ahead of Saturday’s race after banging a joint in his box overnight.
The Khalid Abdullah-owned colt booked his place in the Epsom line-up with an impressive display in the Lingfield Derby Trial, after which connections decided to let him take his chance in the blue riband.
After a smooth preparation, Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe issued a statement reporting the colt’s participation is now under threat.
He said: “Michael Stoute has reported that the above colt (Snow Sky) banged a joint overnight. He will be kept monitored over the next 24 hours and a decision on his participation in the Investec Derby will be made thereafter”.
One horse who remains on target for the Classic is Dermot Weld’s Fascinating Rock, who has done everything asked of him this season.
The colt progressed from winning a Leopardstown maiden to claim the Ballysax at Navan and was then awarded the Derrinstown in the stewards’ room after being touched off by Ebanoran.
While Weld's Oaks hopeful Tarfasha would be unsuited by any rain that falls before the meeting, jockey Pat Smullen is unconcerned what the weather does before the Derby as Fascinating Rock has already shown his versatility.
“I think nice ground would be his ideal thing, as it would for most horses, but if the weather broke and it came up soft, he has handled bad ground twice so far this year, which is a plus, but I’ve always felt he will be a better horse on nicer ground,” Smullen said.
O'Brien's Marvellous has overtaken Taghrooda at the top of the Oaks market with some bookmakers after a brilliant display in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. She is the choice of Joseph O'Brien, with Moore riding stablemate Palace and Heffernan on Dazzling. O'Brien has announced Ruler Of The World will not run in Saturday's Coronation Cup. Last year's Derby winner, jointly owned by Coolmore and Al Shaqab Racing, had his sole start this year in Dubai when only 13th in the World Cup.
O’Brien announced via Coolmore’s Twitter feed: “Ruler Of The World worked very well yesterday but pulled out a little stiff this morning so we couldn’t risk running him on Saturday.”
