The overseas challenge for Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby is likely to be strengthened further today if as expected Godolphin supplement their King Edward VII Stakes winner Mutafaweq. However, Aidan O'Brien will not want for numerical strength in the big race.
The Ballydoyle trainer said yesterday he could run four colts with Michael Kinane set to ride the French Derby fifth Tchaikovsky. His three other hopefuls are the Gallinule winner Urban Ocean, the Curragh winner Genghis Khan and last year's Beresford Stakes scorer Festival Hall.
"The four horses will be left in and it's possible that all four will run in the Derby. I'm not sure who will ride what but I've seen Mick (Kinane) say in an interview that he will be on Tchaikovsky. All the horses are in good form and they will work in the morning," O'Brien, who won the Derby with Desert King in 1997, said yesterday.
Godolphin have until noon today to pay the £77,500 necessary to supplement Mutafaweq but the indications yesterday were positive and the Godolphin spokesman Simon Crisford has reported that Mutafaweq "appears to have taken his Ascot race very well."
The Epsom Derby third Beat All is also set to be supplemented today while the unsettled weather forecast is tipping the scales in favour of the Epsom runner up Daliapour taking part.
Another Sunday highlight at the Curragh will be the second appearance of Aidan O'Brien's Bernstein, already quoted as 16 to 1 joint favourite with William Hill for next year's 2,000 Guineas. Bernstein will run in the Group 3 Railway Stakes over six furlongs.
There will be a strong British challenge for Friday evening's Goffs £10,000 Challenge.
Michael Kinane will ride the Ripon runner up Bally Pride for Tim Easterby while Richard Hannon will be doubly represented by the Windsor winner Foe and the dual score Imperialist.
Darryll Holland will ride Mark Johnston's Love Lane while Neys Dutfield will run both Alpha Heights and Crack Dancer. Other cross-channel probables include Xcaret and Time For Music.
Graham Bradley could be riding at Stratford on Friday after he had his licence returned yesterday.
The 38-year-old jump jockey, had charges of "conspiracy to cheat" dropped earlier this month.
The Jockey Club suspended Bradley's licence two months ago following the rider's arrest and the subsequent charge, which revolved around a race at Warwick in 1996.
Earlier this month that charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence and Bradley immediately announced his intention to reapply for his licence.
After a 25-minute meeting with the licensing panel yesterday, Bradley said: "It went very well. It was a very quick meeting, very informal and I just had a quick chat in there. They said they were going to give me my licence back.
"I wasn't really allowed to say anything, I just asked a couple of little questions. It was very straightforward.
"The application went in last week. The licence will be in the post tonight so I can ride any time from tomorrow. It's not really relief. I'm just very happy it's all finished."
