Grandee ready for Irish Derby step up in class Jessica Harrington has had a phenomenal year so far and bids to cause a major upset in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with the largely unconsidered Grandee. Gold Cup hero Sizing John was one of three winners for the Moone-based trainer at the Cheltenham Festival in March and she continued her purple patch on home soil with several victories at Punchestown, as well as landing the Irish Grand National with Our Duke in between. Although considered a National Hunt trainer by trade, Harrington has proved just as adept on the Flat this year, enjoying notable success with the likes of Alpha Centauri, Brother Bear, Torcedor and Grandee himself, who was an impressive winner of Leopardstown's King George V Cup earlier in the month. The three-year-old faces a major step up in class for this weekend's Classic, but Harrington feels he deserves his place in the field. "He stayed on really well at Leopardstown. It's a very big step up for Saturday, but he's been in good form and he's improved with each run this year," she said. "It's great to have a horse that's even good enough to run in the Irish Derby. "If he could run into a place, I'd be delighted with him."
