Vodafone Derby entries | Classic countdown - news digest

Second entry stage sees some interesting new entries

A record total of 13 horses have been added to the 2008 Vodafone Derby at the today's £8,000 second entry stage, headed by Godolphin's Group One Jean-Luc Lagardere victor Rio De La Plata. Godolphin have also entered Group Two Champagne Stakes hero McCartney, Alexandros, a Group Three winner at Deauville last season when trained by Andre Fabre, and Young Pretender.

Owner Khalid Abdulla, successful in the Vodafone Derby with Quest For Fame in 1990 and Commander In Chief in 2003, has two second entries in Confront, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and a promising winner of the Hyperion Conditions Stakes at Ascot in the autumn, and Twice Over, from the Henry Cecil stable and successful on both his starts at Newmarket last year. The master of Warren Place, who has enjoyed four Vodafone Derby wins, has also put in Kandahar Run, victorious in two of his three starts last season.

Trainer Walter Swinburn won the Vodafone Derby three times as jockey aboard Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986) and Lammtarra (1995). The Hertfordshire-based handler has made a second entry for Wintercast, a comfortable winner on his sole start at Nottingham in November.

French handler Andre Fabre, still seeking a first Vodafone Derby success, could be represented by the Sean Mulryan-owned Thewayyouare, a four-time winner in 2007 including in the Group One Gran Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.

John Gosden, who sent out Benny The Dip to victory 11 years ago, has added Centennial to the field while Clive Brittain has put in Mut’ab and Yahrab.

The other second entry is the Brian Meehan-trained City Leader, winner of the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot last season.

The extra horses in detail

Alexandros joined Godolphin at the end of last season, having previously raced in Sheikh Mohammed’s colours when trained by Andre Fabre. The son of Kingmambo lost his maiden tag at the second attempt, winning over seven furlongs at Saint-Cloud in June by five lengths. Alexandros made the step up to pattern company look easy, scoring by two lengths in the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure at Longchamp in July. He made further progress on his next start at Deauville two weeks later, running on strongly to beat Listed winner Stern Opinion in the Group Three Prix de Cabourg. Alexandros returned to the Normandy track in August and lost little in defeat in the seven-furlong Group One Darley Prix Morny. Held up at the rear of the six runners, he put in his best work in the closing stages to finish third behind Myboycharlie and subsequent Group One Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Natagora.

Centennial finished third behind stablemate and subsequent Group Three scorer Raven’s Pass in a maiden at Yarmouth in July, before running out an impressive winner on his next racecourse appearance at Newmarket a month later, making most of the running to score easily over a mile. Another impressive display followed in the Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes at Newbury in September, a race which had been won by Vodafone Derby winner Authorized 12 months earlier. The son of Dalakhani once again ran on well in the closing stages to prevail by a length, despite jockey Jimmy Fortune losing his whip. Stepping up to pattern company for his final start of the season, Centennial ran a sound race in the Group Three Prix Thomas Bryon on soft ground at Saint-Cloud in October, disputing the lead before eventually being passed by subsequent Group One scorer Thewayyouare in the final furlong.

City Leader showed a good turn of foot on his racecourse debut, coming home a ready one-and-a-quarter length winner despite hanging badly in a competitive seven furlong Ascot maiden at the end of July. The son of Fasliyev was unlucky to run against Raven’s Pass on his next start in the Group Three Iveco Solario Stakes at the start of September. While the John Gosden-trained colt was a comprehensive seven-length victory, City Leader stayed on well to finish second. Returning to Ascot later that month, City Leader gained a deserved Group Two success in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes over a mile, staying on gamely to deny Achill Island by three-quarters of a length. On his final appearance of the season, City Leader found only Ibn Khaldun too good in the Group One Racing Post Trophy.

Confront is out of a half-sister to Oaks winner Reams Of Verse and had enjoyed a lofty reputation even before he stepped on a racecourse. The son of Nayef was sent off a warm favourite for his debut in a typically competitive Newbury maiden over seven furlongs near he was always towards the front of the field but could not get on terms with Fool’s Wildcat and finished a clear second behind the Brian Meehan-trained colt. Confront stepped up on his first run and landed the odds on his next appearance in a seven-furlong maiden at Ascot three weeks later. Tracking the leaders, he was soon in command in the final quarter-mile and stayed on well to finish a length ahead of Stimulation.

Kandahar Run made his debut over a mile in a maiden at Sandown in the middle of August. Despite showing signs of greenness, the son of Rock of Gibraltar stayed on well in the closing stages to finish a good second behind the more experienced Jedediah. A month later, Kandahar Run lost his maiden tag in emphatic fashion with a length-and-a-quarter victory in a mile maiden at Doncaster, taking the lead entering the final furlong and staying on well in the closing stages. Further improvement followed with another confident display over a mile, this time in a conditions event at Newmarket in the middle of October. Settled behind the leaders, Khandahar Run was soon in command inside the final quarter mile to come home an emphatic three-and-a-half length victor, despite again running green.

Trained for Sheikh Mohammed by Mark Johnston last year, McCartney made his debut in a seven furlong maiden at Sandown at the end of July and finished a close third behind two more experienced rivals. Building on his first racecourse appearance, he was an emphatic winner on his next start in an extended one mile maiden at Hamilton in the middle of August, coming home seven lengths clear of his nearest rival. McCartney continued his education with a game victory in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury two weeks later, beating subsequent Italian Group One winner Scintillo by a head. Further progression came with a more authoritative victory on fast ground in the Group Two Urban-I Champagne Stakes the following month, when comfortably accounting for his nine rivals. Unsuited by the softer ground at Newmarket on his final start of the campaign, he could never get competitive in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October and finished seventh.

Mut’Ab made his debut in a seven-furlong maiden at Sandown at the beginning of July, finishing a good third behind subsequent Italian Group One scorer Scintillo, despite running green. The son of Alhaarth returned to the Esher track the following month to contest another seven-furlong maiden, and was again unlucky to be worn down by the useful Campanologist in the shadow of the post, having made most of the running. Mut’Ab again attempted to sit handy in the Group Three Tattersalls Millions Acomb Stakes at York on August 21, but soon paid for his early exertions and weakened in the closing stages, having forced the pace with the hard-pulling Legislation. Stepping down to Listed company on his first run of this season on April 5, Mut’Ab was held up in Heart Of The South Racing International Trial Stakes, run on the Polytrack at Lingfield. Taking a keen hold, Mut’Ab put in his best work in the closing stages, finishing a close seventh.

Having finished a good third in a six-furlong maiden at Newmarket in June on his debut, Rio De La Plata returned to the Suffolk track the following month to run out a convincing five length winner over a furlong further. The son of Rahy proved himself to be a smart colt on his next start in the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood at the start of August, finishing two lengths ahead of Lizard Island, despite idling near the line. Stepping up to the highest level, he travelled to Ireland to contest the Group One Bank Of Scotland (Ireland) National Stakes at the Curragh in the middle of September. Settled towards the rear of the field by Frankie Dettori, he came with a strong run but could not get on terms with eventual champion two-year-old New Approach, going down by a length-and-three-quarters. Group One glory followed in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) at Longchamp on Arc Day, with Rio De La Plata running on strongly to prevail by two-and-a-half lengths form Declaration Of War. His participation in the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket two weeks later had depended on the going not being too soft. The took his chance but could only finish fourth behind New Approach, having been unsuited by the dead ground.

A half-brother to multiple Group One winner and Juddmonte Oaks runner-up Peeping Fawn, Thewayyouare made a less than spectacular debut when finishing seventh in a seven-furlong maiden at Deauville in July. He returned to the Normandy track the following month and posted a far better display over a slightly longer trip, beating Trincot by half-a-length, with the rest of the field a further five lengths behind. Improving with every start, Thewayyouare easily accounted for eight rivals in a Listed contest over a mile at Lyon Parilly in September before an equally impressive display over the same trip in the Group Three Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud, beating fellow Vodafone Derby entry Centennial by a convincing two-and-a-half lengths. Thewayyouare finished his season with another victory, this time in the Group One Criterium International, also at Saint-Cloud. Held up in the very soft ground conditions, Thewayyouare was produced by Stephane Pasquier entering the final quarter mile, and the colt responded well to fend off the challenge of Hello Morning in the closing stages to prevail by half-a-length.

Out of a half-sister to the dam of Passage Of Time, the impeccably bred Twice Over only made his racecourse debut on October 4, in a mile maiden at Newmarket. After breaking smartly, the son of Observatory was soon settled towards the front of the 17 strong field and was pushed out in the closing stages by jockey Richard Hughes to record a convincing two-length victory. Twice Over returned to Newmarket at the start of November to contest the Zetland Conditions Stakes over 10 furlongs. Sent off a warm order, he was held up at the rear of the field and found his path blocked entering the final quarter-mile before coming with a strong run to win by an impressive one-and-a-half lengths, despite running green nearing the line.

Having won the Vodafone Derby as a jockey aboard Shergar, Shahrastrani and Lammtarra, Walter Swinburn could have his first runner as a trainer with Wintercast, who runs in the colours of his late mother-in-law. The Spinning World colt has only had one start, but created a good impression with victory in a mile maiden on fast ground at Nottingham at the start of November. Tracking the leaders under jockey Adam Kirby, Wintercast was produced to lead entering the final furlong and was driven out to score by a length from favourite West Is The Wind.

After a fine second in a seven-furlong novice stakes at Ascot in the middle of July, Yahrab got of the mark at the second time of asking, readily winning another seven-furlong novice event at Newbury at the start of August, beating a couple of previous winners in the process. Stepped up in distance and class, he posted another solid display in the Listed Weatherbys Bank Stonehenge Stakes over a mile at Salisbury at the end of the month, staying on to finish third behind subsequent Group Two scorer McCartney and Italian Group One winner Scintillo. Returning to Ascot for the Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at the end of September, Yahrab could not live with the late injection of pace and plugged on to finish a creditable sixth behind City Leader. Another solid display at the Berkshire track followed two weeks later, with a good third in the Group Three Deloitte Autumn Stakes, where he came home a clear third, despite having raced on his own for much of the race. This season, Yahrab spoilt his chance when falling out of the stalls in a seven-furlong conditions race on dirt at Nad Al Sheba on January 24, before running well to finish fifth on turf at the same track in the Listed Zabeel Mile, where the three-year-old colt took on older horses for the first time.

Transferred to Godolphin for this season having been trained by John Gosden for H R H Princess Haya of Jordan, Young Pretender wasted little time in getting off the mark when winning a six-furlong maiden on Newmarket’s July Course in the middle of August. Having won that contest by an impressive three-length margin, Young Pretender made his next appearance in the Group Three Qatar Prix La Rochette over seven furlongs at Longchamp the following month. Under a perfectly timed late run from jockey Frankie Dettori, the son of Oasis Dream reeled in Shediak inside the final furlong and ran on to score by half-a-length. The pair would reopposed at the Parisian track on October 7 in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium), where Young Pretender was kept in the rear and was unable to launch a serious challenge, eventually finishing a staying-on fifth behind Rio De La Plata.