Major’s Ascot aim as Derby in focus

Jun 2 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

RIVER PROUD emerged as a surprise Vodafone Derby contender yesterday as Major Cadeaux passed his Royal Ascot test with flying colours.

All eyes turn to Epsom this week with the Juddmonte Oaks and Juddmonte Coronation Cup on Friday and the Vodafone Derby on Saturday.

But Richard Hannon is looking ahead to the Golden Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting with Haydock winner Major Cadeaux.

Despite jockey Ryan Moore’s saddle slipping Hannon’s four-year-old was a decent winner of the JW Lees Stakes at the Merseyside venue, scoring by half a length and a head from Linda Perratt’s duo Big Timer and Appalachian Trail. That success was over seven furlongs, but his trainer Hannon feels the Cadeaux Genereaux colt will be just as effective over the six furlongs of the Golden Jubilee, for which he is a best-priced 25-1 with Ladbrokes, William Hill, Coral, BlueSquare and Paddy Power.

Hannon said: “He is a very good horse and we will take him to Ascot for the Golden Jubilee if there is a bit of cut in the ground – he is happy with anything from six furlongs to a mile.”

Part-owner David Mort is eyeing Glorious Goodwood as well as Ascot.

He added: “I would love to win the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, I love the place and I am one of the longest-serving members there.

“It would be great to win a Group One there, the easy mile would suit him so we will have to see what Richard wants to do.”

Meanwhile, he wasn’t among the 21 entries for Saturday Derby, but River Proud could yet be supplemented for the race today after pleasing connections in a work-out at Kempton.

The Paul Cole-trained colt had to run from a terrible draw in stall 20 after a problem with his initial berth in 14 in the French 2,000 Guineas on his last start.

But River Proud still managed to finish third and Cole, who won the Derby with Generous in 1991, is considering adding his colt at today’s final supplementary stage.

He is 33-1 with Stan James for Epsom and Cole said: “He has not been supplemented yet, but we have until midday tomorrow to decide.”

MARTIN DWYER, who returned to the saddle after two weeks on the sidelines with a ankle injury to win aboard Ezdiyaad at Doncaster on Saturday, had a further boost ahead of the Juddmonte Oaks by winning the German 1,000 Guineas on 20-1 chance Briseida at Dusseldorf yesterday.

The Merseyside jockey scored for champion trainer Peter Schiergen, who also saddled the second home Rosenreihe with the Clive Brittain-trained Love Of Dubai back in third.

Dwyer said: “Everything didn’t go to plan at first as she was a bit difficult at the start. But I had a good draw and made up ground. We got a dream run through and it is was a good result in the end.

“It is great to be back in the saddle and I am now looking forward to riding Saphira’s Fire in the Oaks on Friday.”

Trained by Dwyer’s father-in-law Willie Muir, Saphira’s Fire is a best-priced 25-1 with Ladbrokes, totesport and Skybet for the Fillies’ Classic after being supplemented to the 25-strong line-up at a cost of £20,000 over the weekend.

TODAY’S NAP: Mister Right (9pm Windsor).