Ballad strikes winning note

Moon Ballad remains down Godolphin`s pecking order for the Vodafone Derby - despite winning one of its most important trials, the Convergent Dante Stakes, at York today.

Jamie Spencer made every yard aboard the 11-2 chance in the Group Two contest and, despite Bollin Eric and Balakheri doing their best to close on the leader, Moon Ballad still had a length and a quarter in hand at the post.

And, although from a speedy family (his dam Velvet Moon won the Lowther Stakes), Moon Ballad was not stopping at the end of this 10-furlong test.

But his success was not enough to shake up the ante-post betting market for the Derby, most firms going 16-1 or 20-1 but Ladbrokes writing him off as a 33-1 chance.

It was a pleasing performance but, according to racing manager Simon Crisford, another colt remains Godolphin`s 'number one' contender for Classic honours.

'Moon Ballad has speed as you saw there and, although there is a question, I think he should stay a mile and a half. But atthe moment Naheef would be our leading hope for Epsom,' he said.

'He has done very well since the Guineas and is working well.

'That wasn`t him at Newmarket and he probably wasn`t that focused in the race _ he clearly didn`t have a very hard race anyway. If Naheef had been in the race today I think he would have had a very good chance.

'Al Moulatham definitely stays a mile and a half and he could go to Epsom as well.

'Dubai Destination shouldn`t be written off yet but we need to get a run into him. He is fit enough to run but we would need to see him working better this weekend.

'He could run in the Predominate Stakes at Goodwood or even the Irish 2000 Guineas.'

Tim Easterby was delighted with Bollin Eric`s performance in finishing second, although jockey Robert Winston was on the receiving end of a four-day suspension for using his whip with excessive frequency.

'He`ll go for the French Derby provided the owner agrees,' Easterby said.

'He`s not in at Epsom butI wouldn`t totally rule out supplementing him although it is a lot of money.

'He will stay a mile and a half and a mile and six furlongs - he`ll definitely make a Leger horse if he stays sound.'

But further down the field, there were plenty of disappointments and little apparent chance of anything coming out and improving the record of the Dante as a stepping stone for greater things.

Sir Michael Stoute saddled Balakheri to finish third, but the well-regarded Right Approach disappointed again and beat only one rival home.

'Balakheri ran a sound race and he`ll go further although I suspect that is as good as he is,' Stoute said. I don`t know what is wrong with Right Approach but he`s clearly not quite right at the moment.

'Kieren (Fallon) said he never felt comfortable right from the start and I think we`re going to have take him home and have a good look at him.'

Mark Johnston`s winning run in other Derby trials came to an abrupt end as Sir George Turner - who attracted an on-course bet of #20,000 at 5-2 - failed to fire in first-time blinkers, finishing a well-beaten seventh.

Ironically, the Middleham trainer supplemented his charge into the Epsom field at the start of the month, while deciding not to do the same with subsequent trials winners Bandari, Simeon and Fight Your Corner.

But while Johnston has expressed reservations about investing #90,000 to run any of his other candidates at Epsom, the #9,000 he paid to put Sir George Turner in the race may be money down the drain.

'He ran terribly, there is no getting away from it,' Johnston said. 'We have to think that the blinkers didn`t work. If he had finished a bit closer it could have been his form but quite clearly that was his worst run for a long time.

'I don`t think he`ll go to Epsom, we would have to pay another #11,000 to run and it doesn`t make sense to go there with an outsider.'