The Godolphin trainer saddles the 2,000 Guineas winner at Epsom but rain has arrived at the Surrey track where showers are forecast through Friday and Saturday
Charlie Appleby has rain worries ahead of Ruling Court’s attempt to complete the 2,000 Guineas-Derby double.
The colt heads the betting for the £1.5 million Betfred Derby after capturing the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. A Derby victory would put him on a path to the Triple Crown, for which Betfred are offering a £2 million bonus if the St Leger is also landed. He faces 19 runners, the biggest field since 2003, and is rated by jockey William Buick as the best horse in the race.
However ground conditions at Epsom could be much different to Newmarket where the going was good, with good to firm patches in the final furlong, according to clerk of the course Andrew Cooper.
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“This will be my 30th Derby as Clerk of the Course and I have never known such a prolonged dry period from March through to April and into May,” he said
“Here and now, if we were racing at Epsom Downs at this moment, I would have a straightforward call of Good on the ground. That follows 3.5mm of rain on Tuesday afternoon which was kind of forecast.”
Another 4.4mm of rain had fallen at the track up to 11.15am on Thursday but more could arrive on Friday and Saturday.
“We could have two quite showery days on Friday and Saturday. Saturday in particular has the potential to have some heavy showers but we will see.
“We all know in this game the volume of rain on a raceday, when you are racing over ground, it doesn’t take lots to shift things and you are relying very much on jockeys’ opinions as to how it’s riding.
“I can’t see any scenario at present where we would be quicker than Good come Saturday and I think there is every indication that we are going to be on the slower side to some degree through the two days.”
That might not be good news for supporters of Ruling Court, despite having trained well since his Guineas triumph.
Appleby said: “We wouldn’t want the ground to get too soft by Saturday, so any significant amount of rain would be a negative.
“We won’t know if he truly gets a mile and a half until we try, but he gives us all the indications that he should get the trip. We know that he is the class horse in the field, which helps, and being able to travel around Epsom is probably more important than being a proper mile-and-a-half horse.
“We can have no complaints with being drawn seven and are very pleased with how his preparation has gone. He is an exciting Derby contender, for sure.”
