Stars among 17 Irish Derby entries Sea The Stars features among 17 entries for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby as the John Oxx-trained colt bids to become the first horse since Nijinsky to complete the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and Irish Derby treble at the Curragh on Sunday. The son of Cape Cross became the first horse since Nashwan twenty years ago to claim the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Derby at Epsom. Many of those who took him on at Epsom could try their luck again, including the runner-up Fame And Glory, third home Masterofthehorse and fifth home Golden Sword, all of whom are trained by Aidan O'Brien. The Ballydoyle handler has also left in Byzantine, Drumbeat, Freemantle, Hail Caesar, Malibu Bay, Rockhampton and Set Sail giving him no less than ten contenders. The Jim Bolger-trained Gan Amhras could bid to bounce back from a disappointing effort at Epsom and may be joined by stablemate Ard Na Greine, while Oxx also has two chances having left in Mourayan. Loch Long, Recharge and The Bull Hayes complete the possibles. However Oxx has warned that he will not risk his charge if conditions are too soft, although the going is currently described as good to firm. "He worked this morning and everything went well. He came out of Epsom in great form and thankfully we have had no hold-ups since then," he said. "I walked the track on Saturday and again this morning and there is still plenty of moisture in the ground so it wouldn't take a lot of rain to change it against us. The weather is very warm but it's also very humid and there is not much wind so the course is not drying very quickly. "Today it would have been borderline as I thought the straight was on the slow side - maybe we would have been a little bit concerned. We had an awful lot of rain last Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and it is just taking time to dry out. "We'll make a decision whether to declare him and even then we would have to watch the weather. There is no rush to decide and we could even make a final decision on the day." Mourayan is also set to take his chance having been placed in the Ballysax Stakes and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on his two starts this season. "He'll probably take his chance regardless and he will probably like a bit of ease in the ground," Oxx continued. "He disappointed us a little bit in the Derrinstown but we're going to give him another chance, probably with blinkers on. "He ran well in the Ballysax and maybe it was the faster ground that he didn't like in the Derrinstown. He also jumped a road crossing and was never going well after that, so maybe he just hurt himself a bit. We'd just like to see him go again and see if he can improve on that."
