Ground Coming Right For Big Shemali Run

Connections of Al Shemali are anticipating another bold effort from their charge in Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby at the Curragh, with underfoot conditions set to be firmly in his favour.

After finishing five lengths behind Authorized when third in the Dante Stakes, the son of Medicean finished strongly to grab second behind the progressive Zaham at Royal Ascot last week.

Sir Michael Stoute's runner steps up to 12 furlongs for the first time in Ireland and is expected to improve for the greater stamina test.

Officials at the Kildare venue expect the ground to ride on the easy side of good at the weekend and Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, said: 'Soft ground is a big benefit to him and he won his race as a two-year-old on soft last year.

'He has good form and I think his Dante run is good enough to give him a shout in this sort of company.

'It looks an open race this year, although the Derby second (Eagle Mountain) looks good, as does Boscobel and a couple of the others.

'But our horse is not bad and over a mile and a half, and on soft ground, I think we'll see a different horse.'

Ryan Moore struck up a good understanding with Al Shemali at Ascot and will again take the reins after successfully deferring one day of a four-day riding suspension.

'Ryan Moore is on him and knows him very well,' Raymond continued.

'He flashed home at Ascot but I think they were really stopping in front. He couldn't go early as they went so fast and he was a little outpaced.

'For a quality horse he is slightly slow to pick up but we will see if he is at the very top on Saturday.

'He's a very useful horse and he's in good shape. It would be very unlike Sir Michael to send him for these sorts of races quickly if he didn't think he was spot-on.'

(C) PA Sport