DERBY NEWSTHE 2,000 Guineas winner Henrythenavigator is back in the Derby picture after Aidan O'Brien yesterday left no one in doubt about the importance of the Epsom classic to the powerful Coolmore Stud empire.
Epsom's status as racing's "blue riband" took something of a knock two weeks ago when Jim Bolger indicated that his champion juvenile New Approach would bypass the Derby and instead contest the Irish 2,000 Guineas later this month.
Henrythenavigator subsequently beat New Approach in a Newmarket thriller at the weekend, immediately after which O'Brien also nominated the Curragh Guineas as a target for his classic winner.
However, Ireland's champion trainer pointedly stressed yesterday that a Derby attempt has not been ruled out for Henrythenavigator as some of the other Ballydoyle entries for Epsom get ready to test their classic credentials this week.
Both Vivaldi and Wassily Kandinsky are set to run in Thursday's Chester Vase while both Achill Island and Sligo are intended starters in Friday's Dee Stakes. Alessandro Volta and King Of Rome could go for the Lingfield Trial on Saturday while Sunday's Derrinstown Trial at Leopardstown may see Washington Irving and Hindu Kush appear.
In contrast to Bolger, both O'Brien and the Coolmore supremo John Magnier, appear determined to target Epsom, for which Washington Irving was yesterday a 14 to 1 fourth favourite in ante-post betting.
"Everyone knows how important the boss (Magnier) believes the Derby is. Coolmore has been built on the Derby with all those stallions," O'Brien said.
"Henry has come out of Newmarket well and maybe I was a bit premature about saying he was a miler. His sister was placed in a French Oaks and since Saturday we have looked back at what everyone has had to say about him. The lads who ride him at work think he's a sprinter but the lad who rides him at home thinks he needs 10 furlongs - on dirt!" added O'Brien.
"But Johnny (Murtagh) also said that he and Kevin Manning were the only ones still galloping after they passed the line at Newmarket and their problem was pulling up. At this stage we can't rule Henry out of the Derby. We have to give everyone a chance because everyone knows how important the Derby is," he concluded.
O'Brien also didn't rule out the possibility of Henrythenavigator attempting a double up in the Irish Guineas and Epsom. There is exactly a fortnight between both races this year.
However, if the Newmarket hero does miss out on another clash with New Approach at the Curragh, O'Brien indicated Jupiter Pluvius may be in line to make his first start of the season in the mile classic.
Another Group One target on Guineas weekend at the Curragh towards the end of this month is the Tattersalls Gold Cup which may be a target for the Prix Ganay winner Duke Of Marmalade rather than the Irish Derby hero Soldier Of Fortune.
"Duke Of Marmalade might run in that and if he did we could ease off on Soldier," said O'Brien. "Soldier is in a couple of races at Chester this week but he won't run there."
