579 Entered At First Stage For 2007 Vodafone Derby

A total of 579 horses have been entered for the 2007 Vodafone Derby, details of which are revealed today, Wednesday, January 11, 2006.

The 2007 Vodafone Derby, which takes place at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 2, 2007, will have a guaranteed prize fund of #1.25 million, with just under #710,000 for the winner, and is the richest race in Europe.

The premier British Classic, run over 12 furlongs on turf, has attracted the cream of the thoroughbred crop of 2004 at the yearling entry stage which closed on December 7.

Brothers Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum are the two owners with the most entries to choose from at this stage with each having 57 engaged. The Maktoum family´s hand is strengthened even further with 40 entered under the Godolphin banner while Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum has a dozen and Princess Haya of Jordan, wife of Sheikh Mohammed, has 15 horses engaged.

Included among the Godolphin contingent is the Storm Cat colt out of Tranquility Lake, who created a record at the Keeneland September Sale when making $9.7 million, as well as the sale-topper from the Tattersalls October Sale, the Kingmambo colt out of Last Second who made 1.25 million guineas, while Sheikh Hamdan has the most expensive yearling from the Goffs Million Sale, the 1.8 million by Kingmambo out of Karsavina.

Godolphin claims the 1995 Vodafone Derby success with Lammtarra while Sheikh Hamdan tasted victory with Nashwan in 1989 and Erhaab five years later.

Coolmore, the other great powerhouse of European Flat racing and triumphant with Galileo in 2001 and High Chaparral the following year, has a total of 95 entries, with 37 of these registered as owned by Sue Magnier, 31 for Michael Tabor, 11 for Derrick Smith, five for Magnier and Tabor in partnership and one for Tabor, Magnier and Smith. In addition, nine are registered as being owned by Anne-Marie O´Brien, wife of trainer Aidan O´Brien.

Among the Coolmore contingent is a full-brother to 2005 Vodafone Derby winner Motivator, purchased privately by the operation from breeder Deerfield Farm. High-priced purchases entered from the Coolmore team include the Storm Cat colt out of Rings A Chime, the $1.5 million top lot at Saratoga.

The most successful current owner in the Vodafone Derby is the Aga Khan, who has enjoyed the triumphs of Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988) and Sinndar (2000). This time around he has 22 to choose from, trained by John Oxx, Alain de Royer-Dupre and Andre Fabre. Keeping the family tradition alive, his daughter Zahra Aga Khan has one entry.

Motivator became the first Vodafone Derby winner to be owned by a syndicate when he was successful in 2005 and his owners, the Royal Ascot Racing Club, can dream of further glory in 2007 with four possibles at this stage, while Highclere Thoroughbred Racing has nine engaged.

The last Royal winner of the Derby came with Edward VII´s Minoru some 97 years ago and the Queen has four to select from for 2007, three of which are in the care of Sir Michael Stoute, while Terry Mills offers hope of an Epsom-trained winner with three entries.

Overseas interest comes in the form of entries from France, Germany and Norway in Europe, while Maryland-based Englishman Michael Dickinson, the former leading British jump trainer who sent out Wolf Prince to finish eighth in the 1993 Vodafone Derby, has two entries.

In terms of trainers, Aidan O´Brien dominates with 93 entries at this stage while the two most successful current trainers in the Vodafone Derby, Sir Michael Stoute and Henry Cecil, who have each trained four winners, have 16 and one entry respectively.

There are two further entry stages for the 2007 Vodafone Derby - at a cost of #8,000 on April 4, 2007, and at a cost of #75,000 on May 28, 2007.

Stephen Wallis, Managing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, commented: 'Although the entries for the 2007 Vodafone Derby are short of the record numbers in the last couple of years, they are still significantly up on the levels of a few years ago.

'With 579 hopefuls at this stage, the Vodafone Derby dream is very much alive for lots of owners.'