Ehsan faces Curragh test
Ehsan, third favourite for the Vodafone Derby after just one run, bids to book his place at Epsom when he runs in the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh.
Owner the Aga Khan and trainer John Oxx combined to take the premier Classic with Ehsan’s sire Sinndar five years ago and Sunday’s trial will reveal whether they have a true Derby candidate this year.
Ehsan is 10-1 for Epsom after winning a maiden over this course and distance by seven lengths five weeks ago.
Oxx had hoped to give Ehsan a run at Gowran Park after that but as the meeting was abandoned, he has had to pitch the colt in at the deep end in this Group Three contest on only his second start.
“He’s just had the one run and we’re none the wiser about him. He’s a very lazy home worker. If he reproduced his home work he’d finish last so we just don’t know anything about this horse,” Oxx told At The Races.
“We have nothing to go on. He looked good when he won his maiden but it was run on very heavy ground so we will just have to see what he does now on better ground against better opposition.
“We were going to run him three weeks ago at Gowran and then run him in the Gallinule to give him two races more but Gowran was rained off so he’s had no run in the meantime and this is only his second race.
“He’s a very inexperienced horse. Everything’s going a bit quick for him really. I’m not sure which way it’s going to go.”
Of six declared runners, only Ehsan and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Scorpion hold Derby entries.
A son of Montjeu, Scorpion has also just had one racecourse outing. That came at Leopardstown two weeks ago when he duly landed the odds in a 10-furlong maiden. Scorpion is 20-1 for the Derby.
Dermot Weld is represented by Merger, who has finished second to two smart colts from David Wachman’s stable this season, Indesatchel and Fracas.
“I think it’s an excellent Gallinule. There are two very interesting horses in it with Scorpion and Ehsan and we’ll be third favourite,” said Weld.
“Merger is a very consistent horse and we shall see where we stand with him.”
There are two British challengers – David Flood’s Dee Stakes runner-up Im Spartacus and 2000 Guineas seventh Mister Genepi from William Muir’s stable.
Mister Hight, trained by Willie Mullins, completes the line-up.
