New Approach among 42 Irish-trained Derby hopefuls New Approach heads a total of 125 original entries still in the Vodafone Derby following today?s publication of the horses remaining engaged for the 229th running of the world?s most famous Flat race. The Jim Bolger-trained Galileo colt, whose unbeaten juvenile season culminated in a Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes success, was bought in entirety by Sheikh Mohammed and will this year carry the colours of the owner?s wife Princess Haya of Jordan. There are 42 Irish-trained horses among the 125, with Aidan O´Brien responsible for 26 of that total. Among those bidding to give the Ballydoyle trainer a third victory in the race are Washington Irving, a well-regarded three-parts brother to Vodafone Oaks heroine Alexandrova, Leopardstown Listed winner Alessandro Volta and the Group Two Coventry Stakes hero Henrythenavigator. Other O´Brien-trained entries include maiden winners Kingdom Of Naples and Plan, and Zulu Chief, an unraced half-brother to Hawk Wing. Another notable entry is last season?s Group Two Beresford Stakes winner Curtain Call, who has left Jessica Harrington?s yard to join Luca Cumani, successful in the Vodafone Derby in 1988 with Kahyasi and 1998 with High-Rise. Curtain Call is owned by a partnership including bloodstock agent Patrick Cooper and a number of shares representing a 1/50th interest in the colt have reportedly been for sale for #75,000. "The intention is to run Curtain Call in the Vodafone Derby," said Cooper. "We?ve syndicated him but we always intended to keep a large piece of him. Luca?s won the Derby twice before so he was an obvious choice as a trainer. "He?ll have one run before lining up in the Derby, which will either be the Prix Hocquart at Longchamp (May 5) or the Lingfield Derby Trial (May 10). Both of Luca?s previous Derby winners won at Lingfield beforehand, so he?ll probably go there, although he will have to carry a penalty in the race. It will be the trainer?s call as to where he runs. "He?s settled in well at Luca?s and has filled out a lot over the winter. He?s never going to be a huge big horse and we think he will handle Epsom and get a mile and a half well. "He looked a million dollars before finishing fifth in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, but Fran Berry told us on the way down to the start that he didn?t feel right and he ran flat because he was over the top by then."
