Northern News

Time for some racing updates from David and Karyn's (current) side of the world ... firstly the BEST news ... having spent some days in Portugal with top Kiwi rider James McDonald, it was terrific to cheer him home for his first win of his current European stint - AAP news reports:

Premier Sydney jockey James McDonald has ridden his first English winner for Godolphin, steering to victory at Newbury.

McDonald, the retained jockey for Sheikh Mohammed's Australian operation, is spending a few weeks gaining experience in Britain. He had finished second on three of his mounts, and third on one of his five Royal Ascot rides. The Charlie Appleby-trained filly, an American-bred daughter of More Than Ready, won a seven-furlong (1400m) two-year-old maiden by a neck.

McDonald leads this year's Sydney premiership by 5-1/2 wins over Hugh Bowman and is expected to return in mid-July to ride for the final two weeks of the 2014-15 season.

IN IRISH DERBY NEWS ...

Aidan O'Brien has four chances to register an astonishing 12th success in Saturday's 150th Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Qualify, a shock 50-1 winner of the Investec Oaks at Epsom, has been a late addition to the Classic picture, but t he number one hope on jockey bookings appears to be French Derby runner-up Highland Reel, with Ryan Moore riding on the crest of a wave following his astonishing week at Royal Ascot.

Colm O'Donoghue keeps the ride on Qualify, while Epsom Derby fourth and sixth, Giovanni Canaletto and Kilimanjaro, are partnered by Joseph O'Brien and Seamie Heffernan respectively.

O'Brien said: "Highland Reel will step up another quarter of a mile but we were happy with him in France last time and we've been happy with him since.  We always thought she (Qualify) was a really nice filly and we always knew the minute she went beyond a mile, there was the possibility she would really step up and Epsom was the first time she went beyond a mile. We were obviously delighted with that and look forward to Saturday.

"Giovanni Canaletto is in good form. We felt Epsom was maybe coming a little too quick for him, but he came out of the race well and we look forward to seeing him run again on Saturday.

"Kilimanjaro ran a nice race at Epsom and the Curragh might suit him better than Epsom."

Dermot Weld's unbeaten Radanpour takes a big step up in class after winning each of his three starts this season, completing the hat-trick in Leopardstown's King George V Cup at Listed level three weeks ago.

Big-race jockey Pat Smullen said: "He'd probably want a drop of rain and hopefully they'll keep plenty of water on as he just wants a bit of ease in the ground. It's definitely a big step up for him, but he's been very consistent and deserves to take his chance.

"It's an open race, but if the favourite (Jack Hobbs) turns up with his run from Epsom, he'll be hard to beat. We're all hoping for a good run, but on the figures Radanpour has to improve a lot."

Epsom runner-up Jack Hobbs remains a strong favourite to go one better in the 150th Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby after a field of eight was declared for the Curragh showpiece on Saturday. He finished well ahead of four of this weekend's rivals - Storm The Stars, Giovanni Canaletto, Kilimanjaro and Carbon Dating - in the Investec Derby and is expected to confirm the form. The John Gosden-trained colt is 4-5 with Paddy Power, with William Hilland Ladbrokes going 8-11.

Hayley O'Connor of Ladbrokes said: "Jack Hobbs is the only horse the punters want ahead of the race. We offered 4-5 for a short time, but saw enough cash to shorten him again from that price."

Jack Hobbs has come a long way since winning a Wolverhampton maiden in late December, making a stunning reappearance in a Sandown handicap before finding only stable companion Golden Horn too strong in the Dante at York. The two did battle once more at Epsom and while Golden Horn confirmed his superiority, the Godolphin-owned Jack Hobbs was comfortably best of the rest.

"Jack Hobbs could be the answer to the 150th Irish Derby, although the in-form Ryan Moore is on Highland Reel who is the only other horse to be supported in the ante-post market," said William Hill spokesman Jon Ivan-Duke.

Ryan Moore has chosen to partner Highland Reel, the French Derby runner-up, from four Aidan O'Brien-trained horses. The trainer's son, Joseph, will be aboard Giovanni Canaletto, with Seamie Heffernan on Kilimanjaro and Colm O'Donoghue keeping the ride on Investec Oaks winner Qualify.

O'Brien has trained a record 11 previous winners of the Curragh Classic, including Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012) and last year's dual Derby winner Australia.

Paul Hensey, the Curragh's general manager, is delighted with the line-up.

"We've the second, third and fourth from Epsom, the second horse from the Prix du Jockey Club, the winner of the Epsom Oaks, the winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial and we've got an unbeaten Aga Khan horse (Radanpour) with Dermot Weld, so we've not done too bad," he said.

"It will be a terrific weekend and we're really looking forward to it."

Hensey reported the ground to be good to firm on Thursday afternoon ahead of the three-day Festival that starts on Friday. It is possible the taps could be turned again before Friday evening's fixture but that will depend on how much rain falls on the County Kildare track overnight.

"The ground is good to firm at the moment. We continued to water through the day and I suspect we will water again on Friday, probably the Derby track again on fresh ground for Saturday," he said.

"We are expecting some rain overnight, maybe five millimetres, so we will evaluate the whole situation in the morning and see how much more we need to do. It's not been that warm but we've had a dry period for the last few weeks so we've just been putting some water on the track to make sure we keep some moisture and it's paid dividends.

"The weather is forecast to be dry on Friday and Saturday, slightly overcast maybe temperatures of 15C and 16C. There could be some rain overnight on Saturday, maybe five to 10 millimetres. That would be perfect if it came."

The only withdrawal at the final declaration stage was Jim Bolger's Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Pleascach.

AND FINALLY - MARK JOHNSTON WHO LAST YEAR VISITED TE AKAU STUD WAS ON FIRE ON THURSDAY ...

Mark Johnston (pictured) won the 6f maiden at Hamilton for the third year in a row after Martini Time kept Force Awakens at bay. The rampant trainer celebrated his third win on the day and ninth in the last four days.