Sir Percy Among 136 Vodafone Derby Hopefuls

The 2006 Vodafone Derby, run at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 3, promises plenty after 136 horses stood their ground at the initial forfeit stage - the first there has been since the yearling entry in 2004.

There are 27 Irish-trained horses remaining, alongside three from France and one from Germany in the premier British Classic.

Summary Of Possible Key Contenders

Darley Dewhurst Stakes winner Sir Percy, trained by Marcus Tregoning, heads the list of possible runners. The Mark Of Esteem colt ended last season unbeaten in four starts, and his narrow Group One triumph over Horatio Nelson was enough to clinch the accolade of top-rated British-trained juvenile.

The latter, who landed the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for owner Sue Magnier, before suffering his only defeat at the hands of Sir Percy, is one of 19 Aidan O'Brien-trained horses still under consideration for the Blue Riband.

The Ballydoyle trainer, who won the Vodafone Derby with Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), has a strong hand that also includes Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes winner Aussie Rules, and Hurricane Cat, victorious in the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes.

Racing Post Trophy third Septimus previously landed the Group Two Beresford Stakes, a race in which his stablemate Altius was third.

The O'Brien entry also includes Dylan Thomas, Mountain, Galileo Galilei, Hitchcock, James Joyce, Newmarket maiden winner Fire and Rain, and the unraced Brideshead, who is a half-brother to Derby third Colonel Collins, Commander Collins and Lit de Justice.

Godolphin has the largest numerical representation, with trainer Saeed bin Suroor responsible for 24 of the entries going forward, most of which are unexposed individuals.

Haasem is an unraced half-brother to the Godolphin champion, Sakhee, while Lunar Landscape is out of the Vodafone Oaks-placed mare Melikah, herself a half-sister to Galileo and Black Sam Bellamy.

True Cause defeated Leo in a Goodwood Listed contest but found that rival too good when fifth in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes last time. Ashaawes won his maiden before running fourth to subsequent Group One winner Palace Episode in the Listed Acomb Stakes at York.

Stepping Up was a close third to Aussie Rules in a Newmarket Group Three, while Jeu De Mot filled the same position behind Doctor Dash in a Listed contest at Salisbury in August.

Rampallion and Ruler's Gold, a half-brother to St Leger hero Rule Of Law, are other possibles, along with Narvik, Achill Bay, Emirates Skyline, Extreme Measures, Shariki and Sharpsburg.

Sir Michael Stoute's Vodafone Derby haul stands at four and he will be looking to one of his seven remaining entries to provide win number five in the Classic.

City Of Troy won his first two starts before finishing fourth to Leo in the Royal Lodge Stakes, and is prominent in the betting for the Vodafone Derby. Best Alibi was fourth in the Racing Post Trophy last time, while Book Of Music showed a good attitude when winning his sole start in a Newmarket maiden.

Motivator provided Michael Bell with his first Vodafone Derby success last year and the trainer will be hoping that lightning can strike twice as his unraced pair, Leningrad and Moon Melody, are both sons of Montjeu, the sire of last season's victor.

Group Three Sirenia Stakes hero Prince Of Light, and the unbeaten Nakheel, an easy winner of the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes at Pontefract in October, are the pick of Mark Johnston's four possible contenders.

Barry Hills - who has saddled four runners-up in the Vodafone Derby - has a seven-strong team including Haydock maiden winner Giganticus, Mashaahed and Olympian Odyssey, who defeated the David Elsworth-trained Degas Art in a Newmarket maiden. Elsworth, now based in Newmarket, could also run Persian Punch's half-brother, Classic Punch.

John Dunlop's three-strong entry includes Mount Kilimanjaro, a brother to last season's Derby also-ran, Kong.

The Irish challenge could include the Jim Bolger-trained Heliostatic. The Galileo colt was a length second to Horatio Nelson on his debut and then landed a maiden on his only subsequent start, while stablemate Global Position was third to Mountain on his only outing.

The David Wachman-trained El Fuego, a winner at Fairyhouse on his sole start, could be joined by the John Oxx-trained King In Waiting, who is an unraced half-brother to Millenary. Kevin Prendergast has left in Beresford Stakes runner-up, Rekaab.

Foreign Entries

Minkowski is yet to race, but trainer John Hammond could send him to Epsom from his Chantilly base. Fellow French entires are Grieg, an unraced Generous colt in the care of Eric Libaud and Gloucester, trained by Pascal Bary.

The German possible is the Andreas Schutz-trained Listed winner, Nordic Thunder, who rounded off last season as runner-up in the Group Three Preis Des Winterfavoriten at Cologne.

Others that remain after the first forfeit stage include Atlantic Waves, Judge, Hazeymm, Night Crescendo, Charlie Cool, Primary and Dunelight.

There are two further opportunities for horses to be added to the Vodafone Derby field - at a cost of #8,000 on April 5 and at a cost of #75,000 on May 29. The second forfeit stage is on May 17.