EPSOM DOWNS 13 DECLARED TO RUN IN THE DERBY ON SATURDAY JUNE 4th 2011

13 DECLARED RUNNERS FOR THE INVESTEC DERBY

Carlton House, the Queen’s horse, is one of 13 declared runners for the premier Classic, the Investec Derby, which takes place at Epsom Downs at 4pm on Saturday, June 4.

The three-year-old Street Cry colt is an intended runner in the 12-furlong Group One worth £1,250,000 after picking up a slight injury earlier this week.

He exercised over four furlongs at Newmarket this morning and connections are waiting to see how his near-fore joint, which slightly swelled up on Monday evening, reacts.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Carlton House was the ready winner of the best Investec Derby trial, the totesport Dante Stakes, at York on May 12.

The Queen has had nine runners in the Derby, coming closest with the first of them, Aureole, who finished second to Pinza in 1953. She has been at Epsom Downs for Derby Day in the great majority of years since then.

Carlton House, due to be ridden by Ryan Moore who was successful last year in both the Investec Derby (Workforce) and Investec Oaks (Snow Fairy), is the 7/4 favourite with William Hill, the official betting partner for the Investec Derby Festival.

The Andre Fabre-trained Pour Moi, who ran a good trial when the decisive winner of the Group Two Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud on May 7, is next in William Hill’s market at 7/2. The colt worked pleasingly under big-race jockey Mickael Barzalona at Epsom Downs last week during Breakfast With The Stars. He is Fabre’s first Investec Derby runner since 2006.

The other French runner is Vadamar (16/1), trained by Alain de Royer Dupre for the Aga Khan. He also ran in the Prix Greffulhe and finished third after starting the odds-on favourite, staying on without getting to Pour Moi over 10 furlongs.

Ireland’s champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien, has four runners, headed by Recital (5/1), the mount of Kieren Fallon, who won the Group Three Derrinstown Stud Trial by a length and a half from Memphis Tennessee (20/1) at Leopardstown on May 8, while Seville (13/2), second to Carlton House in the totesport Dante, and Treasure Beach (25/1), who took the Group Three Chester Vase over the Derby distance by a head from Nathaniel on May 5, complete the team.

O’Brien, interviewed this afternoon on At The Races, said it would be very hard to pick between his four runners because it was difficult to judge how far they have come on from their last races and added: “I would probably pick the wrong one.

“The Derby is an unbelievably special race - it is the ultimate test of a thoroughbred. We are just so lucky to have some horses to run in it.”

Godolphin relies on the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Ocean War (16/1), unbeaten in two starts this year, and Frankie Dettori takes the mount.

The Ed Dunlop-trained Native Khan (10/1) has Classic form, having finished third to Frankel in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket on April 30. He too gained experience of Epsom Downs at Breakfast With The Stars, and has to tackle an extra half-mile in the Investec Derby with Johnny Murtagh up.

John Gosden’s runner is Masked Marvel (25/1), the three-length winner of the Listed IBA Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood on May 18.

The Dante third Pisco Sour (100/1) is a first Investec Derby runner for trainer Hughie Morrison who has booked Jimmy Fortune to ride.

The other two Investec Derby hopefuls are outsiders Marhaba Malyoon (200/1) and Castlemorris King (500/1).

GOING NEWS - THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011

The going is GOOD at Epsom Downs and that will be the ground description tomorrow morning for the first day of Investec Derby Festival.

Watering has continued today on parts of the course with Andrew Cooper, Director of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Epsom Downs, making sure that the ground is consistent throughout.

He said: "We are putting on two to three millimetres of water over parts of the course to balance things up. The watering will be completed by the end of the afternoon.

"There is plenty of moisture in the ground and, though the course will dry in the good weather, we hope to start Saturday on going that is no worse than good, good to firm in places.

"The course is in great shape and it walks quite even and consistent. The grass cover is good and the going is slightly better than for the start of the meeting last year.

"We watered during the meeting for the first time last year. I would prefer not to do that this year but we will see how the ground rides tomorrow before making a final decision."

The GoingStick reading at 7am this morning was 7.8 (Home Straight Stands' Side 8.1, Far Side 7.8).

The inside rail tomorrow (Friday, June 3) will be dolled out five yards from the mile pole to the six-furlong marker.

From the five-furlong pole to the winning post, the inside rail will be dolled out by up to 5 yards. This will add 10 yards to race distances.

The forecast is for dry and increasingly warm weather, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s tomorrow and on Saturday.

THE 2011 INVESTEC DERBY DECLARED RUNNERS

Class 1, Group 1, £1,250,000 Total Prize Fund, 4.00pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, June 4, 2011. For three-year-olds only, entire colts & fillies, one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards. Entries closed December 1, 2009 (444 entries). First scratchings deadline noon, March 1, 2011 (125 remained), £8,000 secondary entry stage noon, April 5, 2011 (12 extra entries received), second scratchings deadline noon, May 19, 2011 (22 remained), £75,000 supplementary entry & five-day confirmation stage, noon, May 30, 2011, (17 confirmed) final declaration stage 10am, June 2, 2011 (13 declared runners).

No./Form Horse Owner Trainer/Jockey/Draw

1) 21-1 CARLTON HOUSE (USA) The Queen Sir Michael Stoute/Ryan Moore (13)

2) 0560-5 CASTLEMORRIS KING (v) Charles O'Connell Michael Attwater/Mark Coumbe (11)

3) 1-6 MARHABA MALYOON (IRE) Ahmad Al Shaikh David Simcock/Jamie Spencer (8)

4) 16-51 MASKED MARVEL Bjorn Nielsen John Gosden/William Buick (5)

5) 5(1)-2 MEMPHIS TENNESSEE (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien IRE/Joseph O’Brien (6)

6) 114-13 NATIVE KHAN (FR) Ibrahim Araci Ed Dunlop/Johnny Murtagh (3)

7) 5-11 OCEAN WAR Godolphin Mahmood Al Zarooni/Frankie Dettori (10)

8) 0(1)120-3 PISCO SOUR (USA) Michael Kerr-Dineen Hughie Morrison/Jimmy Fortune (1)

9) 01-31 POUR MOI (IRE) Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith Andre Fabre FR/Mickael Barzalona (7)

10) 11-31 RECITAL (FR) Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Eduard Mordukhovich Aidan O’Brien IRE/Kieren Fallon (4)

11) 212-2 SEVILLE (GER) Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O’Brien IRE/Christophe Soumillon (2)

12) 21123-1 TREASURE BEACH Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O’Brien IRE/Colm O’Donoghue (12)

13) 61-13 VADAMAR (FR) H H Aga Khan Alain de Royer Dupre FR/Christophe Lemaire (9)

13 declared runners

4 Irish-trained

2 French-trained

CARLTON HOUSE The Queen-9 Sir Michael Stoute-34 Ryan Moore-5

CASTLEMORRIS KING Charles O'Connell-0 Michael Attwater-0 Mark Coumbe-0

MARHABA MALYOON Ahmad Al Shaikh-0 David Simcock-0 Jamie Spencer-7

MASKED MARVEL Bjorn Nielsen-2 John Gosden-13 William Buick-1

MEMPHIS TENNESSEE Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith-6 Aidan O’Brien IRE-44 Joseph O’Brien-0

NATIVE KHAN Ibrahim Araci-0 Ed Dunlop-2 Johnny Murtagh-14

OCEAN WAR Godolphin-23 Mahmood Al Zarooni-2 Frankie Dettori-18

PISCO SOUR Michael Kerr-Dineen-0 Hughie Morrison-0 Jimmy Fortune-6

POUR MOI Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith-6 Andre Fabre FR-9 Mickael Barzalona-0

RECITAL Sue Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Eduard Mordukhovich-1 Aidan O’Brien IRE-44 Kieren Fallon-10

SEVILLE Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier-7 Aidan O’Brien IRE-44 Christophe Soumillon-3

TREASURE BEACH Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor-8 Aidan O’Brien IRE-44Colm O’Donoghue-4

VADAMAR (FR) H H Aga Khan-11 Alain de Royer Dupre FR-1 Christophe Lemaire-0

For further information please contact:

Rupert Trevelyan, Managing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 01372 726311

Andrew Cooper, Director of Racing at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 07774 230850

Johnno Spence at JSC Sport on 07860 583307