Lyons set for first Derby outing
Riding the crest of a wave after securing his first Classic with victory in the 2000 Guineas with Siskin on 12th June Kiltale trainer Ger Lyons will saddle his first runner in the Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday with Chiricahua set to go to post.
Trim jockey Colin Keane is expected to take the ride on board Chiricahua as he teams up with his boss Lyons again in their bid for the blue riband of Irish flat racing.
The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby taking place at The Curragh this Saturday is set to be one of the most competitive in recent times with 15 horses still in the race following this morning’s declaration of runners, the biggest field since 1977.
Aidan O’Brien who has won Ireland’s premier Classic 13 times will have a strong team to represent him with six runners including recent Royal Ascot winner Santiago.
His son Joseph will try to win the race for a second time having won with Latrobe in 2018. He will be represented by the unbeaten Crossfirehurricane, while New York Girl who finished fourth in the recent Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas was added into the race earlier this week as a supplementary entry at a cost of €50,000, she will attempt to be the first filly to win the race since Balanchine in 1994. O'Brien Junior also has Curragh recent winner Galileo Chrome in the race.
Fiscal Rules will represent Jim Bolger, who has won the race twice with St Jovite and Trading Leather.
Summerhill woman Jessica Harrington will attempt to become the first female trainer to win the race with Gold Maze who finished runner-up in the recent Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Gallinule Stakes.
This year’s race will be particularly significant for trainers with first Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby runners, as Lyons will be joined at the derby stalls for the first time by Donnacha O’Brien with Sherpa, Emmet Mullins with King Of Thrones and Andy Slattery with Sunchart.
The 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Sovereign, who was ridden to victory in last year's big race by Dunboyne jockey Padraig Beggy, is one of eight runners in a fascinating contest for the Comer Group International Vintage Crop Stakes.
Seven two-year-olds will line up in the Gain First Flier Stakes including the Lyons trained Frenetic and the Aidan O'Brien trained Hyde Park Barracks.
2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Latrobe and Sir Dragonet are two of five runners in the Dubai Duty Free Jumeirah Creekside Alleged Stakes.
Racing will be shown live on RTE on all three days of the Derby Festival; Friday from 7pm to 8pm, Saturday rom 6pm to 8pm and Sunday from 3pm to 5pm.
Racing TV will show all races to an extensive international audience live over the three days.
ITV Sunday will show the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes & Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes.
Fox Sports (US) will show live coverage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby for the first time attracting a potential audience of 80 million viewers and also Green Channel in Japan will show the race.