Khan confirmed for Irish Derby Ed Dunlop has given Native Khan the green light to line-up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday week, June 26. A staying on fifth behind Pour Moi in the Investec Derby at Epsom earlier this month, Dunlop believes the son of Azamour will be well suited to the demands of the Curragh 12 furlongs. “He showed us at Epsom that he stays a mile and a half and we have decided to keep him to his own age group for the moment and go for the Curragh race,” said Dunlop. “He has come out of the Epsom race well and we are delighted that Johnny Murtagh is again available to ride him on Sunday week.” Aidan O’Brien, attempting to win this race for the sixth year in a row and the ninth in total has confirmed that Treasure Beach, Memphis Tennessee and Recital (second, fourth and sixth respectively at Epsom) are his three main contenders for the race. “They all ran really well at Epsom and deserve to take their chance at the Curragh,” commented O’Brien, who still has 22 of the 48 horses still left in the race. Other likely Irish-trained contenders include Dunboyne Express and Notable Graduate, who will aim to give trainer Dermot Weld his third success in the race. Connections of Carlton House, who finished third behind Pour Moi at Epsom, are likely to make a decision this weekend concerning the colt’s participation at the Curragh. The son of Street Cry suffered a setback in the days leading up to the Epsom Derby, and in the race itself had a troubled passage and lost a shoe inside the final furlong.
