Hala Favourite For Irish Glory

Hala Bek has taken over as favourite for the Budweiser Irish Derby following news that his Epsom conqueror Sir Percy could instead wait for Sandown a week later.

The latter's trainer Marcus Tregoning warned he is '60-40' in favour of running the Vodafone Derby hero in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes over 10 furlongs rather than sticking to a mile and a half at the Curragh on July 2.

Ladbrokes reacted by clipping the Michael Jarvis-trained Hala Bek, an unlucky fourth in the premier Classic, into 7-4 clear favourite for compensation.

Spokesman David Williams said: 'If we were more confident that Sir Percy would go to the Curragh we wouldn't have been able to split them.

'As it is, Hala Bek has to be favoured with the real chance that Sir Percy is bound for the Eclipse at Sandown.'

Tregoning is tempted by several factors to go for the all-aged contest won by the great Nashwan when he was assistant trainer to the late Dick Hern.

'While our minds are open and I have still to discuss a plan with his owners, I can see a lot of advantages in running him in another Group One over a mile and a quarter, rather than travelling him in order to take in another mile and a half race,' he explained.

'I am struggling to come up with any obvious older horses to take him on in the Eclipse but having said that nothing is set in stone.'

Tregoning hinted that Sir Percy would not have many more races this year as his owners Anthony and Victoria Pakenham are keen to race him as a four-year-old.

'If we keep him going next year then we would not race him massively for the remainder of this season and after his next run we could keep him for races such as the Arc at the end of the year,' he said.

'The Irish Derby is a possibility but so is the Eclipse and I would advise anyone wanting to back him for Ireland to wait.'

(C) PA Sport