The Budweiser Irish Derby is still eight days away, but while Dermot Weld believes he has the top home contender in Port Bayou, the Curragh trainer also admits that the chances of a fourth Irish win in the premier Irish classic this decade are slim.
"It has the makings of a great race with the first three from Epsom coming over and the French Derby winner looks a class horse too," Weld said yesterday before rating his chance of adding to Zagreb's 1996 success.
"Port Bayou has an outside chance in the Derby, but being realistic it is only an outside chance. He will do well to be placed. Yet he could represent the best Irish hope because I can't see any of the other Irish-trained horses with a better shout," he said.
Port Bayou hasn't run since he won the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown and missed out on a tilt at the Belmont Stakes at New York after being cast in his box.
Weld described the ground at the Curragh as being "perfect", and, with the racecourse manager describing it as good to firm, watering is now an option.
One man who hopes the ground will not be fast is Montjeu's trainer John Hammond, who said of his French Derby winner: "Montjeu runs in the Irish Derby unless the going is firm. He is fit and well and I am hopeful that if I can get him to the Curragh as fit as he is at present he will run a big race."
For the moment though, home punters will have to do with this afternoon's Cork meeting for the weekend, and, in the £10,000 Carey Handicap Chase, it's hard to get away from the likely favourite Triptodicks as the likely winner.
Indeed, unlike the torturous fate of the favourites during the week at Ascot, this could be the day to buy into the market leaders. Triptodicks for one certainly looks like one after an ultra-impressive display at Kilbeggan last month when a comfortable winner over Iona Flyer and Cristy's Picnic. There looked to be something left in the tank then, something Triptodicks can prove ahead of Riszard.
Racing opens with the latest in the Ballydoyle line of two-year-old newcomers, Pissaro. As if that isn't enough to plunge blindly on the Green Desert colt out of a Nashwan mare, his name figuring among the late entries at Royal Ascot should seal it.
The nap, however, goes to the Frances Crowley-trained Lodge Hill in the bumper. This one was an easy winner over Native Rosie in a bumper at Kilbeggan 19 days ago and should be open to improvement on this ground. The Fairyhouse runner-up Donnybrook Fair and the Naas winner Seriously Misled look the main dangers.
Crowley runs two in the Beginners Chase, and while Montelisa ended up with the better placings of the two at Tralee, maybe the extra trip will work out in Portulano's favour.
