Smullen eyeing Classic double aboard Weld duo

Jun 5 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

PAT SMULLEN can hardly believe his luck and thinks he has every chance of completing a memorable Juddmonte Oaks-Vodafone Derby double this weekend on Dermot Weld’s Chinese White and Casual Conquest.

The Irish jockey insists he would “not swap her for anything” in tomorrow’s Oaks after she was among the final 16 runners declared for the 1m4f Group One contest. And Smullen is also looking forward to his ride on Casual Conquest in Saturday’s Derby.

Chinese White won by six lengths on her racecourse debut at Leopardstown last September, and looked good to take a Listed event at Gowran Park last time.

Tomorrow will be a big step up in class for the Dalakhani filly – who is a best-priced 9-2 with Stan James, bet365, BetDirect and – but Smullen is hopeful she can take it.

He said: “She has done everything we have asked of her and won really well the last day. I am really excited about riding her on Friday.

“You never know if they will handle the track until they are they’re racing on it but she seems to be a very agile filly so I don’t think it will bother her.”

Chinese White is drawn 14 of 16 but Smullen added: “Ideally you would like to be in the middle of them, but we will just have to try to navigate our way around and get ourselves into a nice position.

“There are some nice fillies in there but mine is in very good form and I wouldn’t swap her for anything.”

Smullen’s connections stumped up the £75,000 supplementary fee to add Casual Conquest to Saturday’s Derby field.

An impressive six-length winner of one of the best prep races for the Epsom Classic, the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, the Hernando colt is a best-priced 4-1 favourite with BlueSquare.

Smullen said: “It’s great Dermot has decided to run as there is only one Epsom Derby and it’s great to be taking part in it with a live chance.

“The horse seems in great form and I’m really looking forward to riding him.

“He is a big horse but it’s the old saying that if a horse jumps (out of the stalls) and travels he will handle the track.

“If you have the tactical pace to get up there and he can get a good position, we will not have any problems hopefully.”

In tomorrow’s Johnny Murtagh will be on board Adored in the Oaks, who is one of six Aidan O’Brien-trained runners.

Also entered from the Ballydoyle stable are Cheshire Oaks winner Sail, Ice Queen, Moonstone, Savethisdanceforme and Tiffany Diamond.

Murtagh’s decision to ride Adored means the filly is generally a 10-1 chance with most bookmakers, with Jim Bolger’s Lush Lashes the 3-1 favourite with Ladbrokes, totesport and BlueSquare among others.

Murtagh has also decided to partner King Of Rome in Saturday’s Derby and the Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up is now into 14-1 with Ladbrokes, Coral, BetFred, Skybet and Paddy Power from 21.

Trainer O’Brien will have five runners in all in Saturday’s Colts’ Classic.

Mick Kinane will ride Dante runner-up Frozen Fire, a best-priced 20-1 with BlueSquare.

O’Brien said: “Johnny will be on King Of Rome.

“Mick rides Frozen Fire and David McCabe will be on Bashkirov.

“Seamie Heffernan and Colm O’Donoghue will be our other Derby jockeys but it will be tomorrow before we decide which of them rides which – Washington Irving or Alessandro Volta.”

Meanwhile Tajaaweed will take his chance in the Derby it was confirmed.

The Dee Stakes winner pulled off a shoe, but connections are happy all is now fine.

“As far as I know he’s fine. I gather they’ve now got a shoe back on him and it’s so far so good,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.

“As long as everything is all right in the next 24 hours he’ll run.”

One horse who won’t run in the Derby is the Bronze Cannon due to the current easy ground.

Connections are likely to head for Royal Ascot and the King Edward VII Stakes instead

Hugo Lascelles, racing advisor to owner Anthony Oppenheimer said: “There’s a good chance he’s not going to run in the Derby and will wait for the King Edward.

“It’s due to the ground conditions, I think.

“That was the chat this morning. They will make a definite decision in the morning but that is the way they are leaning now.”

TODAY’S NAP: Million Percent (2.20pm Lingfield).