Bolger explains decision to pursue Derby

Trainer Jim Bolger defended his decision to leave NEW APPROACH (Galileo

[Ire]) in Saturday's Derby S. (Eng-G1), despite effectively ruling Princess Haya

of Jordan's colt out of the Blue Riband previously. Last year's champion

juvenile, runner-up in both the May 3 Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at Newmarket

and the Curragh's Irish equivalent last Saturday, was a surprise name among the

18 contenders declared Tuesday for the 229th renewal of the mile-and-a-half

classic.

"Hopefully, leaving him in (at the previous forfeit stage) will turn out to

be a fortuitous mistake," the Coolcullen conditioner said. "He had come out of

the race at The Curragh exceptionally well, he didn't lose any weight and was

getting above himself, so I began thinking with the changing weather at Epsom

that maybe it could be an opportunity after all. I contacted John Ferguson on

Sunday and he was in agreement with going there, having spoken to Sheikh

Mohammed, so I'm happy to be in the line up at this stage."

Bolger added a proviso that New Approach would not be risked on ground faster

than good, an outcome which appears unlikely after the significant rain in

Surrey in recent days.

"He will only run if the ground is good or easier; if it were good-to-firm he

wouldn't run," Bolger cautioned. "We seem to be in a no-win situation with him,

as we were in trouble when we weren't going, and are in trouble now he is. It

would be nice if people accepted that we live in a changing world, and this is

just one more change."

As expected, Moyglare Stud's CASUAL CONQUEST (Hernando [Fr]) was supplemented

to the Epsom classic, and trainer Dermot Weld is hoping that the impressive May

11 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (Ire-G2) winner can justify the bold step.

"I'm very happy with Casual Conquest and his preparations, and he's in good

form," Weld commented. "He's a huge horse who is inexperienced, and whether he

handles the track only time will tell, but we decided to let him take his

chance."

The other supplementary entries on Monday were Khalid Abdullah's Chester Vase

(Eng-G3) scorer DOCTOR FREMANTLE (Sadler's Wells) and Michael Spencer's Poule

d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) third RIVER PROUD (Proud Citizen).

"We are very happy with Doctor Fremantle's progress," Juddmonte's Racing

Manager Lord Grimthorpe said. "He has come on well in recent weeks and Sir

Michael (Stoute) was pleased with his work on Saturday. I think you have to go

with the attitude that you are going to try and win the race, otherwise it

becomes rather a waste of time, but I think he certainly has the make and shape

for it."

River Proud's conditioner Paul Cole is unsure whether or not his contender

will stay the trip, but is confident he has the attributes to do so.

"I believe his father was second over a mile-and-a-half, but you would expect

Gone West to have an influence of speed and, like half the field, there is a

possibility that he won't stay the trip," Cole reasoned. "He was staying on

really strongly in the French Guineas as if further might suit him well. If they

had gone another quarter of a mile in that race then he would have finished in

front."

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's TAJAAWEED (Dynaformer) was the subject

of a minor scare Tuesday, but is fully expected to make the Derby line-up The

owner/breeder's racing manager, Angus Gold, confirmed that the Dee S. (Eng-G3)

winner had lost a shoe, but his connections were not overly concerned.

"All that has happened is that when the stable staff went to feed him last

night they had noticed he had lost a shoe," Gold told PA Sport. "As a

precaution, they have decided to leave him alone with the shoe off today and

providing all is well with him, they will put one back on tomorrow morning. He

did not get out of the box and he is not lame anyway, so, providing there are no

problems tomorrow when they put the shoe back on, he should be ready to rock and

roll."

Epsom's clerk of the course, Andrew Cooper, expressed hope that Monday

night's further rainfall would be the last drenching the track would get before

Saturday.

"We have had 10 millimeters of rain overnight and earlier (Tuesday) morning

and we are planning to change the going to soft, good to soft in places later

this afternoon," Cooper explained. "It is still overcast at the moment and we

are getting light drizzle, but it is forecast to move out to the east, and we

are not anticipating much more rain for later in the week.

"There is a chance we may get a shower or two, but nothing major, and the

ground at the moment is probably as soft as it is going to get."