Foley excited by Green Impact in Irish Derby Green Impact is on course to step up markedly in distance for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Sunday, where the Jessica Harrington-trained colt is generally a 10/1 chance for the €1.25m race. The son of Wootton Bassett defeated dual Derby-trials winner Delacroix to land the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown last September and while he disappointed in the English 2,000 in May, scored at Listed level on June 5. That most recent win (over 1m1f) was Green Impact’s first try over a distance beyond than a mile and at the Curragh, he is set to step up a further three furlongs in distance. Shane Foley, who has already won three Curragh classics in the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas and Oaks, is excited at the prospect of riding Green Impact and says “I think the step up in trip will help as I think he has been crying out for it to be honest. We started him off in the 2,000 Guineas in Newmarket where I don’t think the track played to his strengths and it was a muddling type of race, where they went slow, then quickened and he got unbalanced. “He also pulled a shoe but came back and was freshened up and at Leopardstown, where I thought it was a good battling performance to win against the older horses. I think he’ll enjoy the Curragh and a mile-and-a-half. “He is a bit of a dosser at home as he wouldn’t excite you in his homework and only does what he has to do. That is always a good sign of a horse and I love the way he pulled out in the last 100 yards at Leopardstown, where the further he was going the better he was going. “It is something to look forward to and hopefully the ground will come up nice on the day. He is not going to be favourite by any means but will be a lively outsider and we’ll be going there with a fighting chance.”
