Galileo and Kinane look unbeatable

Michael Kinane has won Classics around the world but there is one glaring omission on his CV that the Kildare-based rider can surely put right on Sunday week.

The Budweiser Irish Derby has so far eluded this brilliant jockey but Kinane, who was 42 earlier this week, is unlikely to get a better chance of claiming the Curragh prize than when he teams up with the brilliant Galileo on July 1st.

Trainer Aidan O`Brien has already won the Irish Derby with Desert King in 1997 and saddled winners of the Entenmann`s Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas last month.

Kinane has not been so lucky, choosing wrong in both races but there is little danger of him making a Classic mistake this time.

Pundits were left reaching for superlatives as soon as the son of Sadler`s Wells burst clear of his field for Kinane in the Vodafone Derby.

His three-and-a-half-length demolition job of Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner Golan at Epsom with dual-Group One scorer Tobougg a neck away third stamped him as a top-quality thoroughbred.

And he delighted O`Brien in his first work-out since then, 10 days after his Epsom triumph.

'Galileo went very, very well. He went half speed and was very fresh, he has come out of the Derby very well. He was a baby going to Epsom but he`s a teenager now,' said the quietly-spoken trainer.

Whether he will face a rematch at the Curragh with Golan remains undecided.

'Lord Weinstock and I have to discuss it and there is no decision yet,' said trainer Sir Michael Stoute.

'Galileo was extremely impressive at Epsom and he is a very good horse.

'I was delighted to see Golan trot up so well on the Sunday morning as the ground had quickened and he didn`t really stretch coming down the hill.'

Galileo`s Vodafone Derby victims have been urged to have a crack at the colt on the Curragh, where the less demanding track could offer them a chance of taking revenge.

With prize money of £900,000 on offer, racecourse manager Jason Morris said that the race promised financial reward as well as a chance to be crowned Europe`s champion three-year-old.

But Morris said: 'A number of the contenders at Epsom seem to feel they didn`t act very well on the course there.

'But the one thing about the Curragh is that it`s a very fair test and there is no better racing surface in Europe - I don`t think. It would be interesting to see whether perhaps on a more galloping track here at the Curragh they could reverse the form.

'There is £900,000 up for grabs this year and an awful lot of prize-money going down to 10th place, for which there is £9,000, and we hope we would get a very decent field comprising both quality and quantity.'

But his appeal appeared to fall on deaf ears across the Channel with French Derby winner Anabaa Blue likely to wait for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes later next month.

However, Grandera, who wasunlucky in running when third at Chantilly, remains a likely opponent for Galileo, according to trainer James Fanshawe.

'We have a bit of time to look at all the options,' he said.

'But I`d like to go for the Irish Derby provided the ground doesn`t get soft. Galileo won really well. It`s always difficult to compare the two Derbys but you couldn`t fault Galileo - it was a brilliant performance.'

Exaltation is likely to be supplemented at a cost of £90,000 following his success in the Group Three Gallinule Stakes at Leopardstown.

'He would like a well-run mile and a half and I suspect he will be supplemented,' said his trainer John Oxx.

'He has to be in good form but we are keen to run. He has been beaten by Galileo - he`s improved since then but so has Galileo.

'Basically we are really only running for place money. But I think we`ll give him a shot.'

The 6-4 favourite paid a compliment to Galileo when overhauling the four-year-oldtop-weight Jammaal by three-quarters of a length.

Exaltation had run the Vodafone Derby winner to a length and a half over the same mile and a quarter last month.

And Oxx knows what is needed having completed the Epsom-Curragh Derby double with the mighty Sinndar last year.