1.25 Curragh, Mdn, €17,000, 2yo, 6fT
RIVER TIBER (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) appears the pick of the two juvenile colts from Ballydoyle making his debut in this maiden which proved such a fertile source of group performers 12 months ago as Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) led home Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and other useful types. A 480,000gns Book 1 purchase, the February-foaled bay hails from the family of the 2013 G1 Phoenix S. winner Sudirman (Henrythenavigator) and Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who captured last year's Listed Dee S. for this stable. Also here is Democracy (Ire) (No Nay Never), a full-brother to last year's G3 Oh So Sharp S. scorer Midnight Mile (Ire) from the family of Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).

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But before Star Of India travels to Australia, he will continue his campaign in Britain, where he will be trained by Royal Ascot-winning handler Harry Eustace.

Eustace said, “He has been bought by an ownership group to head to Annabel Neasham in Australia and the plan is to run him up here before entering quarantine to go to either Melbourne or Sydney.”

He added, “There's no pressure for me to run him, but if I'm happy with him he's good to run. We'll take a bit of time with him and get to know him and there's a couple of options at either Windsor or in France later in the season.

“There's a mile-and-a quarter Group 3 at Windsor [Winter Hill S. on Aug. 27] and there is the [G3] Prix du Prince d'Orange [ParisLongchamp on Sept. 4], a 3-year-old-only 12-furlong Group 3.”

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“I ride Nations Pride, all being well, so I'm looking forward to that,” he said. “It's always difficult, as they are three nice horses and I'm fortunate to have the choice, which is a privilege in itself.”

Aidan O'Brien provided the only ripple as he withdrew the Lingfield Derby Trial winner United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), leaving 18 in the field including the other supplementary, the Stan Moore-trained maiden El Habeeb (Ire) (Al Rifai {Ire}) who faces a genuine baptism of fire.

Which Way For The Star?

Ballydoyle still have a strong trio engaged, headed by the May 8 G3 Derby Trial S. winner Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), although the May 5 Listed Dee S. scorer and TDN Rising Star Star of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also holds an entry in Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club. A total of 23 remained in the Chantilly Classic after the week's first forfeit stage, with Prince Faisal's 2000 Guineas fourth Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}) another who has yet to be committed to either Epsom of the French equivalent. Saeed Suhail's May 12 G2 Dante S. winner and TDN Rising Star Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) looks certain at this stage to start favourite, with his opposition further trimmed on Monday as Ivy League (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Lysander (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Sir Bob Parker (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) were also taken out.

Green Light

One of the race's outsiders, Ahmad Al Shaikh's Newmarket S. runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}), has been given the go-ahead by his owner who was runner-up with Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) two years ago. “After deliberations with Andrew Balding, Green Team Racing has decided on giving Hoo Ya Mal the opportunity to run at the Derby next Saturday,” he said on Monday. “The distance might be a challenge, but it's a chance worth taking. We look forward to a successful participation against the world's top horses. Although relatively new, this will be Green Team Racing's third consecutive run at the world's biggest race.”

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Trainers are creatures of habit and it is no surprise that the 'TDN Rising Star' turns up in the same race won by another past son of the great sire, Cliffs of Moher (Ire), who also took the same seven-furlong maiden as Star of India at Leopardstown in October. Perhaps not ready for the radical test of Newmarket's G3 Craven S. Apr. 13, the half-brother to the G1 Phoenix S. scorer Sudirman (Henrythenavigator) will be all the sharper for that effort as he tackles a quintet including the locally-trained impressive Epsom conditions winner Mr McCann (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Without the likes of Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) to contend with, this represents a more significant class-drop than Group 3 to listed suggests and Ryan Moore shares that view. “It certainly looks a winnable race, with no stand-out,” he said in his betfair blog.

Mares Strong In The Ormonde

   Taking centre stage on the card is the G3 tote.co.uk Proud To Support Chester Racecourse Ormonde S., where Kirsten Rausing's G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. runner-up Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) and Koji Maeda's G1 Prix de Royallieu bridesmaid Believe In Love (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) make up a formidable combined female assault on the old treasured prize. This is the starting point in 2022 for Anamoine Limited's John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who went from 'TDN Rising Star' to relative obscurity as the initial excitement that saw him trade as the Derby's joint-third favourite quickly waned. There is more than a small deal of emotion attached to the son of Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) for Ed Dunlop and he is looking at longer trips to bring out the colt's best this term.

“We're hoping he stays further than a mile and a half in time and this is sort of a happy medium, it's slightly further than a mile and four furlongs and we'll hopefully learn something from it,” he said.

Click here for the group field.

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