Racing: Alamshar has emerged unscathed from his Derrinstown Derby Trial success at Leopardstownon Sunday and trainer John Oxx insisted yesterday he was satisfied with the colt's performance.
The head defeat of Brian Boru's pacemaker, The Great Gatsby, resulted in Alamshar drifting to as big as 9 to 2 for Epsom with the bookmakers.
However, Oxx said yesterday: "It was not a Derby-winning performance but I was not expecting one in the circumstances. I was happy enough with him.
"We will need to keep going and hopefully the next time he runs we will be able to have him in the sort of form he was in before the Ballysax.
"Everything was fine with him this morning. He ate up and was fresh and well. I just hope the next four weeks go smoothly."
There was less happy news about a former Oxx champion Ridgewood Pearl who has died following complications while foaling.
The 1995 champion miler won Group One races in four different countries and wound up that season by landing the Breeders' Cup Mile.
Newmarket trainer Michael Stoute admitted yesterday he is facing a battle against time to get his star filly Islington to the Curragh on Sunday week for the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Instead the Nassua Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks winner could reappear in Sandown's Brigadier Gerard Stakes.
The Killarney fixture winds up this afternoon and it will be interesting to see how the former Stoute-trained Voltigeur winner Air Marshall goes in the apprentice claimer.
A flop over hurdles when showing obvious signs of moodiness, the six-year-old showed more than a flicker of enthusiasm when fourth in a charity race at Punchestown.
Air Marshall is capable of picking these up and carrying them home but in the circumstances maybe Dusty Diamond could be the safer option.
Conditions are certain to be testing which leaves a question mark over Fiddlers Bar in the opener.
Her Listowel bumper win was on the fast but Barry Geraghty's booking looks significant.
Geraghty could double up in the two-mile handicap chase with the topweight Forrestfield while Move Yourself looks the answer to the bumper.
Paddy Power's Epsom Derby betting: 5-2 Refuse To Bend, 7-2 Alamshar, 8 Brian Boru, 14 Alberto Giacometti and The Great Gatsby, 16 Hold That Tiger and Catcher In The Rye, 25 bar.
