Shadwell bid to become only the eighth operation since 2000 to prevent Aidan O’Brien from success in the Irish Derby. They last won it with Salsabil in 1990, and the well-bred Raaheeb bids to retain the crown. However, they come up against a strong Coolmore quartet, who bettered them in the Coronation Cup with Precise last week.
The notion of team tactics has been a prominent discussion of late, including in the Coronation Cup. It began in the St James’s Palace, as Ryan Moore was suspended for three days for careless riding. Christophe Soumillon, who allegedly opened the door for his stablemate Gstaad on Puerto Rico, was also reprimanded.
In the Coronation Cup, Saffie Osborne on Shadwell’s Touleen insisted she was denied a clear run by Wayne Lordan on Coolmore’s True Love. Lordan looked to pen Touleen in as he attempted to angle for a run under Osborne. Regardless of any past or future untowardness, Angus Gold is only focusing on his horse.
Gold, the racing manager for Shadwell, told the Press Association, via Racing TV: “We can only worry about our horse and it is up to Rossa Ryan how he rides him. We have to hope everyone gets a fair cut at it. But you can’t go into a race worrying about that otherwise you would never have a runner.
“We just have to hope he turns up in good form and gets a run and we’ll see what happens.”
Unexposed Raaheeb an unknown quantity stepping up in class
Raaheeb hails from the excellent family of Baaeed and Hukum, and his ability is not yet calculated. He’s unbeaten in two starts, the first coming at Ascot last September. He returned this season to land the Bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown by over three lengths. Connections didn’t want to rush him for the Derby after a minor setback, but he’s been primed for this since.
“He has only run twice in his life so it is a massive jump up anyway. So that’s why we are not going to start worrying about tactics and things like that.
“We don’t even know whether he is up to this class yet. Obviously we hope he is, but until you try it you are not going to know,” concluded Gold.
Raaheeb is second favourite for the contest, splitting Coolmore’s Benvenuto Cellini and Christmas Day. The only other British entrant is Bay Of Brilliance, who was fourth to Christmas Day in the Epsom Derby.