Teofilo Heads 165 Vodafone Derby Hopefuls After First Forfeit Stage

The 2007 Vodafone Derby has 165 horses standing their ground after the first forfeit stage for Britain's premier Classic (as against 136 last year), which takes place at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 2.

There are 55 Irish-trained horses remaining (27 more than 12 months ago), alongside six from France and one from Italy in Europe's richest race, worth #1,250,000.

Summary Of The Key Contenders

European champion juvenile Teofilo heads the list of possible runners. Jim Bolger's charge ended a spectacular two-year-old campaign last year when unbeaten in five starts, including twice at the highest level.

The Galileo colt saw off the Aidan O'Brien-trained Holy Roman Emperor to capture both of his Group One successes, with the pair engaging in a thrilling duel for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, in which Teofilo rallied to deny the late flourish of his rival by a head.

With Holy Roman Emperor recently retired to stud, O'Brien has 38 entries going forward, the largest numerical representation of any trainer.

Ireland's champion trainer has won the Vodafone Derby twice, with Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), and his strong hand includes Motivator's brother Macarthur, an easy winner of a Navan maiden, Group One Criterium International hero Mount Nelson, Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes victor Admiralofthefleet and Group Two Juddmonte Beresford Stakes winner Eagle Mountain.

Duke Of Marmalade ran an encouraging second to Strategic Prince in the Group Two Veuve Clicqout Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in August, while Anton Chekhov, from the family of Vodafone Oaks winner Time Charter, was impressive when taking a nine-furlong Leopardstown Listed contest in November on his second start.

Peter Chapple-Hyam tasted Vodafone Derby glory with Dr Devious in 1992 and the trainer has Group One Racing Post Trophy winner Authorized still engaged.

Saeed bin Suroor sent out Lammtarra to win the 1995 Vodafone Derby for Saeed Maktoum Al Maktoum and the Godolphin trainer has 13 horses still engaged, headed by Empire Day, who filled third spot behind Passage Of Time in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud, and Strobilus, who was runner-up to Kirklees in the Group One Gran Criterium at San Siro in October.

Godolphin's contingent also includes Nottingham maiden winner Eastern Anthem, who is by Singspiel out of Godolphin's 2002 Vodafone Oaks winner Kazzia, as well as UAE 2,000 Guineas third Rallying Cry and easy maiden winners Mofarij, Mariotto and Truly Royal.

Marcus Tregoning experienced Vodafone Derby success last year with Sir Percy and this time the Berkshire-based trainer has Lingfield maiden winner Aajel, from the family of 1989 Vodafone Derby hero Nashwan, and Aqaleem.

Both colts are owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, whose colours have been carried to success by Nashwan (1989) and Erhaab (1994), and who has seven horses remaining in the Epsom Downs Classic.

The Maktoum family combined (Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed, Sheikh Ahmed, Sheikh Hamdan, Gainsborough and Princess Haya) account for 35 of the remaining entries.

Sir Michael Stoute's four Vodafone Derby winners are Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003) and North Light (2004) and he will be looking to make it five with one of his dozen hopefuls.

Adagio won on his first start before running a creditable seventh to Teofilo in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes, while others include comfortable Newcastle maiden victor Al Shemali, Ladies Best, successful in a Newmarket nursery, and Ballymacoll Stud's once-raced Lang Shining.

Stoute also has the Queen's sole representative in Aladdin's Cave, an unraced son of Rainbow Quest out of Vodafone Oaks runner-up Flight Of Fancy.

Henry Cecil, successful in the Vodafone Derby with Slip Anchor (1985), Reference Point (1987), Commander In Chief (1993) and Oath (1999), has the Niarchos family-owned Ajaan, winner of a Windsor maiden and a half-brother to last year's runner-up Dragon Dancer, along with Many Volumes, who is out of 1997 Vodafone Oaks winner Reams Of Verse.

Strategic Prince was a leading juvenile last season with a brace of Group Two wins and a third-place finish in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes. The colt is one of two entries for Paul Cole who is chasing his second Vodafone Derby success after Generous' 1991 triumph.

Barry Hills - responsible for four runners-up in the Vodafone Derby - has three remaining in the 12-furlong Classic including Celestial Halo, who was fifth on his sole start in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York last term.

John Oxx and the Aga Khan teamed up for Vodafone Derby glory in 2000 with Sinndar and the pair could join forces again with Mourilyan, third to Soldier Of Fortune in a Navan maiden in October, and the unraced Alarazi. The Aga Khan, the most successful current owner in the Vodafone Derby with four victories, has a total of four horses remaining.

Other Derby-winning trainers with potential runners include William Haggas (1996 Shaamit) who has Eco Centrism and Della Cruscan engaged, while John Dunlop (1978 Shirley Heights, 1994 Erhaab) has Chepstow maiden winner Mutadarrej in the race, and Geoff Wragg (1983 Teenoso) relies on The Carlton Cannes.

Quest For Fame provided Roger Charlton with Vodafone Derby success in 1990 and the trainer is represented by the unbeaten Proponent, six-length winner of the Houghton Conditions Stakes at Newmarket in October, while John Gosden, who enjoyed Derby success with Benny The Dip in 1997, has 10 remaining entries headed by Group One Racing Post Trophy sixth Sunshine Kid.

Michael Bell captured the Vodafone Derby with Motivator in 2005 and the trainer is well represented at this stage with six potential contenders, including Goffs Million runner-up Regime and Nottingham maiden winner Metaphoric, like Motivator a son of Montjeu who is owned by the Royal Ascot Racing Club.

O'Brien also has Soldier Of Fortune, runner-up in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud, as well as Group One Gran Criterium third Chinese Whisper, Yellowstone, who was third to Mount Nelson in the Criterium International, and High Chaparral's brother The Ethiopian.

The wider world of sport is also represented at this stage. The Ed Dunlop-trained Broomielaw, second on his sole start in a Newmarket maiden in September, is owned by Lady Ferguson, wife of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The colt is a son of Ferguson's record-breaking champion miler, Rock Of Gibraltar.

Slavica Ecclestone, wife of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, owns Petara Bay. The Haydock maiden winner is trained at Epsom by Terry Mills.

The six-strong French contingent includes two unraced Aga Khan-owned horses trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre (Shamdinan and Ashkazar) alongside three owned by the Niarchos family (Group Three-placed Holocene, Simbad and the unraced Sagara).

The French sextet is completed by the Sheikh Mohammed-owned Skylancer, an unraced In The Wings half-brother to 1995 Vodafone Oaks winner Moonshell and 2004 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner Doyen. Fabre saddled Visindar, the 2/1 favourite, to finish fifth to Sir Percy in 2006, but Britain's premier Classic has so far eluded the multiple French champion trainer.

The Italian entry is the Emilio Borromeo-trained Candragupta, a Rainbow Quest colt from the family of North Light and Islington.

There are two further opportunities for horses to be added to the Vodafone Derby field. There is an #8,000 second entry stage on April 4, 2007, before the second forfeit stage on May 18, 2007, and a #75,000 supplementary entry stage on May 28, 2007. The confirmation stage is on May 28, 2007 and the final declaration deadline is at 10.00am on May 31, 2007.