140 go forward for Vodafone Derby Glory

An exciting cosmopolitan collection of 140 three-year-olds remain in the 2004 Vodafone Derby after the first forfeit stage including all last season´s star juvenile colts as well as some less exposed prospects..

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This year´s Vodafone Derby, run at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 5, will again be easily the richest race run in Europe with £1.25 million in guaranteed prize money and the entries include 39 from Ireland, 16 currently with Godolphin in the United Arab Emirates, seven from France, three trained in Germany and one from Michael Dickinson´s stable in the USA.

Dickinson´s representative is Master William, winner of a $250,000 event at Woodbine in October, and a decision on whether he will be aimed at the Vodafone Derby will be taken in around four weeks´ time. Dickinson made his name in Britain as a ground-breaking National Hunt trainer, saddling the first five home in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and has had one previous runner in the Vodafone Derby, Wolf Prince who finished eighth in 1993 when travelling over from the US.

No trainer is better represented in the premier classic than Aidan O´Brien, who saddled Galileo and High Chaparral to success in 2001 and 2002 respectively and has 25 entered in 2004 including Yeats, facile winner of his only start in a Curragh maiden in September.

One Cool Cat, a dual Group 1 winner as a two-year-old, three-time winner Anchor, Go For Gold, Magritte, Mikado and Wolfe Tone are other O´Brien entries with notable winning juvenile form.

The Maktoum family´s ground-breaking Godolphin stable has 16 Vodafone Derby entries including Snow Ridge, winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot for trainer Marcus Tregoning last year, and Matloob, a dual winner in 2003 for Michael Jarvis.

The unbeaten Grey Swallow, trained by Dermot Weld, and Azamour, representing John Oxx, successful in 2000 with Sinndar, add further strength to the Irish challenge.

American Post, winner of the Group 1s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Racing Post Trophy, and Bago, whose unbeaten run of four juvenile successes culminated in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud, head the strongest French challenge in recent years.

Sir Michael Stoute, successful in 2003 with Kris Kin, has 14 entries including dual winner Imperial Stride, owned like last year´s hero by Saeed Suhail, as well as the Queen´s Magnetic Pole, who caught the eye when third on a Leicester maiden on his only start in October.

Local interest is provided by Settlement Craic and The Way We Were, trained by Terry Mills in Epsom, and Swainson, based at Philip Mitchell´s yard just a few hundred yards from the racecourse.

Stephen Wallis, Managing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, said: 'The Vodafone Derby represents the ultimate test for the thoroughbred and it´s pleasing to see a strong domestic entry joined by contenders from Ireland, France, Germany and the United States all dreaming of victory at Epsom Downs on the first Saturday in June.'

There is an £8,000 second entry stage for horses not put into the Vodafone Derby as yearlings on April 7.