Prendergast keen on Sugar Boy Patrick Prendergast was delighted with the outcome of the Investec Derby, even though he didn't have a runner at Epsom. The Irish handler sent Sugar Boy to England to contest the Classic Trial at Sandown Park in April and his colt duly made every yard of the running to beat Eye Of The Storm and Galileo Rock by a head and half a length with Libertarian a further eight lengths back in fourth. Despite seeing the third and fourth go on to fill the places behind Ruler Of The World in last Saturday's Classic, Prendergast remains perfectly happy with his decision to bypass the contest. "I've no regrets about missing Epsom. It was a strange sort of race where plenty of horses had their chances spoiled by the slow early pace and it could just as easily have been him who ended up almost having no race at all," he said. "It was a good performance by the winner, but you'd have to say that Sugar Boy's form is looking better and better now. I know that Libertarian was badly hampered at Sandown and you wouldn't take that too literally, but the way that David's horse [Galileo Rock] has run, you have to think he'd have been right there." Prendergast has his eyes firmly focused on the future with a tilt at the Irish Derby the priority and he believes that there's more to come from his half-brother to the Grade One winning mare Sarah Lynx. "He's entered at Leopardstown on Friday, but if the ground is too firm he won't be running. He certainly doesn't have to run there in order to get ready for the Irish Derby - the idea was just to keep him ticking over, but he's in great form at home. "If I'm honest, I think he has improved again since Sandown. It's very exciting." Sugar Boy is a general 8/1 chance for the Irish Derby which is run at the Curragh on June 29.
