Approach & Cornerstone get Derby entries Last season's champion two-year-old Dawn Approach is among a record 17 second-stage entries for the Investec Derby. The unbeaten son of 2008 Epsom hero New Approach was added to the premier Classic at a cost of £8,000. He is already hot favourite for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas. As well as Jim Bolger's colt, Godolphin have also entered the Saeed bin Suroor-trained pair of Secret Number and Steeler. First Cornerstone, owned by Team Valor whose runners include Dubai World Cup hero Animal Kingdom, has been put in by trainer Andy Oliver. Winner of two of his first three starts including the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at the Curragh, he was a creditable fourth to Kingsbarns in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October. "First Cornerstone is in the Investec Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club and the Irish Derby. The idea would be to start him off in a Derby trial and then we will pick out which one to go for from there. We will just weigh things up nearer the time but it gives us some options," said the Co. Tyrone handler. "Physically, he has done well over the winter. He had a nice long break and really enjoyed himself. He is not a huge horse, but he stands over a lot of ground and is a lovely, easy moving horse. "On bare form, he looks as if he deserves an entry in the Derby. Everything about him smacks that he will stay the trip and his current owners, Team Valor, said they want to aim him at a Derby. "He is a very relaxed horse and loves his work, and at this stage we are very happy with his preparation. We haven't asked him any serious questions yet but we will start to wind him up now. "All things being equal, he will probably start off in the Derrinstown Derby Trial but we also have the option of running him in the Dante Stakes at York. We are a bit in the dark about how he will go on better ground. He is a very sound and easy moving horse but he has done all his winning on soft or heavy ground. "I'm not going to avoid better ground, though, because I have no reason to but it is something we will keep in mind."
