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Does anyone else think the magic of the Derby has really returned this year?
The race has faced criticism in recent years, rather harshly so in my opinion, the race will go through good and bad spells but this year the race seems to be more talked about and more hyped up than it has been for years.
I think the will he / won’t he syndrome regarding Casual Conquest has helped to create an extra interest then the will he / won’t syndrome regarding Henrythenavigator added to that and now Jim Bolgers u-turn enabling New Approach to take his chance has really lit the race up.
This years race is open but there is still the hope that a superstar may emerge from the race and that very point is what makes the Derby great in my opinion.
Contrast this years build up with last years and there doesn’t seem to be much of a comparrison. Whereas last year it was pretty dull with most expecting Authorised to win, this year the excitement is much more evident and the best is hopefully yet to come.
What would top it all off is a Henry Cecil win with Kandahar Run, however I don’t think the horse will stay.
Does anyone else agree with me regarding the magic returning? I seem to remember the Derby going through a particularly dark spell throughout the 1990’s and gradually I think its been improving steadily culminating in an exciting 2008.
I can’t agree with you i’m afraid. The New Approach/Bolger affair has stimulated a little interest for various reasons but it looks a weak renewal to me. Some horses that just shouldn’t be there on ability, some that should defintely not be there on staying power and some others that are badly overhyped for the little they’ve achieved on the course. Where the hell is Twice Over!?
I’m hoping Tartan Bearer can win as he looks the only potential "star" in the field [at a mile-and-a-half anyway].
I can’t agree with you i’m afraid. The New Approach/Bolger affair has stimulated a little interest for various reasons but it looks a weak renewal to me. Some horses that just shouldn’t be there on ability, some that should defintely not be there on staying power and some others that are badly overhyped for the little they’ve achieved on the course. Where the hell is Twice Over!?
I’m hoping Tartan Bearer can win as he looks the only potential "star" in the field [at a mile-and-a-half anyway].
I think its often very difficult to predict the strength of a Derby before the race. That said it did look relatively week before New Approach and Casual Conquest were added but now I’d say it looks potentially stronger than last years race which take the winner out looked extremely weak pre-race on paper.
I too am on Tartan Bearer Michael Stoute has said one or two things which I found surprisingly if not bullish, very hopeful, and Keiran fallon is said to be very keen on the horse. Those two know the time of the day and Ryan Moore didn’t appear to hesitate in choosing Tartan Bearer.
I wouldn’t say he is the only potential star in the race. Casual Conquest could be literally anything, New Approach could be top class at the trip if he stays,Curtain Call, Tajaaweed neither of those have yet reached their potential and then there’s Aidan O’Brien who knows which of his horses will "take off" and by how much.
I am a bit old fashioned in saying the true magic of Epsom will only come back if they put it back to a Wednesday slot and people have to bunk off work to watch it.
Foxy if they ever bring back fox hunting they should spare
you for the sense of your wiley words above and make you
head of the commission and try to vixen bribe you.You can of course always
still go on a Wednesday.
and watch the exciting race
to get it all ready.flatcapgamble… If a million turned up
it would worry the epsom executives
more than Gordon Frown and those
that sold their facebook sharesI think last years derby was a one horse race, but this years reveloves around a few Think the first few in the betting are all potentially top class horses, and even then couldnt rule out Tartan Bearer or Dr Freemantle or King Of Rome as they may have improved seriously aswell. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a top class performance in the race, but then at the same time it could turn out to be a disappointment.
I think that the derby has all its magic this year, 2006s werent the most exciting for me, and anyone who hadnt backed authorized antepost last year must have found it very unexciting. If you forget all the controversy over entries this year it looks very much exciting.
From a betting perspective I think I much prefer the Oaks this year which looks top drawer, but think that the 2008 Derby has all the makings of an exciting race, if new approach were to win he would look like the perfect horse to do the eclipse. If the pace is slow then we could see an amzing performance from him, if it is fast then think we could see an amazing performance from curtain call, and if casual conquest builds on the derrinstown win he could just have been a sleeping giant. The race for me generally revolves around those three but then it is far from a three horse race and thats what makes it exciting for me.
Quote – I wouldn’t say he is the only potential star in the race. Casual Conquest could be literally anything, New Approach could be top class at the trip if he stays,Curtain Call, Tajaaweed neither of those have yet reached their potential and then there’s Aidan O’Brien who knows which of his horses will “take off” and by how much.
I would agree completely with all of that.
Impossible race
New Approach…Has he bottomed? Can he handle the prelims? Has the trainer completely boiled over in the build up?
Dante form? How good is that, Group 3 on same card was 1.3 secs faster.
Casual Conquest…Will he handle the track?
Tajaweed…ability? Narrowly beat a subsequent listed class runner in the Dee.
River Proud…Trip, temprement?
Dr Fremantle…Wasnt considered good enough to be an original entry and what about the Chester Vase form through Pampas Cat?
Curtain Call…Chance on best 2yo form if you ignore his last 3 runs, has he improved enough?
Kandahar Run…Listed class up to now.
How good was the Lingfield trial? Can AOB get more improvement from Alessandro and King of Rome?The all age group races look a lot more interesting over the 2 days, I’m happy to sit the Derby out.
CR – surely all those ?’s of yours make the Derby MORE rather than less interesting? The point of the Derby is to answer them.
I think it’s a facsinating renewal with a host of candidates who could be superstars when stepped up in trip.
As with most Derby’s it’ll be better judged in hindsight.
its a poor, poor race. The oaks has much more going for it this year. Its a very poor show from the boys this year.
cormack by interesting I mean from a betting point of view, too many ?’s to form an opinion pricewise.
From a sporting point of view the Derby will be fascinating and added to all the ?’s already listed we can now probably add in a watering factor as well. I’m really looking forward to seeing how it all pans out. Its always a great 2 days racing.
I have to admit I’m far more interested in the Oaks this year. Far more prospect for superstars to emerge IMHO.
I am a bit old fashioned in saying the true magic of Epsom will only come back if they put it back to a Wednesday slot and people have to bunk off work to watch it.
Firefox, did you attend any of the Wednesday runnings of the Derby in the early 1990s? It was dying on its feet. A couple of friends came with me to the 1991 running and they were shocked at the sparse crowd and lack of atmosphere. This romantic "bunking off work" argument is regularly advanced whenever this subject is raised but, take it from me, there weren’t many bunking off work to attend the last few Wednesday Derbies.
Gus I was also there in 1991 (Generous) and agree the crowd was small and I think it started raining midway through the card.
Take out the obvious grissle like Bashkirov, Maidestone and Alan Devonshire and it looks a very interesting race to me. How anyone can suggest that the Oaks is of greater interest/quality is startling.
Coolmore stepped in and Aidan by leaving the Navigator in after NA vwas ruled out forcing Dermot and Jim to rethink their position.(don’t give Aidan an easy victory)John Magnier made it clear that he bred his horses to win Derbies. Aidan trains them for the Derby.
Where would the Derby be in recent years without the influence of Sadlers Wells? Both Galileo and Montjue have kept the Derby and Oaks on the front burner.Thanks to Coolmore and Aidan.They have always loved to have lots of runners in the Derby.The Irish love for the Derby cannot be ignored,going back to Vincent.I’ve been attending every year since 1985 and the low point was Quest for Fame’s year in terms of atmosphere, although I think Generous’s year may be rosier in my mind because of the quality of the winner.
I, being a traditionalist at heart, was against the move back to a Saturday but would readily concede that I was wrong and that the race has benefited from the switch.
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