Appleby offers note of caution ahead of Ruling Court's Derby bid
Nashwan claimed Guineas and Derby glory in 1989, but it took a horse as brilliant as Sea The Stars two decades later to repeat the feat before Camelot did the same in 2012, after which he came up narrowly short in his Triple Crown quest in the St Leger.
Appleby, who has trained two previous Derby winners in Masar (2018) and Adayar (2021), is hoping Ruling Court can etch his name into the history books, but said at Epsom on Friday: 'We're just on weather watch. There's not as much rain around – we were forecast showers this afternoon and it's been a lovely, drying day.
'We know what this track can do in these conditions, the horse is in great form and I'm looking forward to him running, (but) I will just highlight that if all of a sudden we get a deluge (of rain) and the ground becomes very testing, then conversations will have to be had during the build-up to the race over whether we participate or not.
'So there is a warning out there, but I think we'll be OK. It looks as though the weather has broken up a bit and the forecast tonight doesn't look as though it's going to be quite as severe as it was first forecast to be.'
Like Masar, Ruling Court will be ridden by William Buick, who said: 'He's not too dissimilar from Masar. They have completely different pedigrees, but Masar was a good third in the Guineas and again went to Epsom having not run beyond a mile. They are not similar horses but have not too dissimilar profiles.
'Masar winning the Derby was the highlight of my career. I'd ridden in it enough before and been placed before and I thought I'd know how it would feel to win it, but it was an amazing day.'
On whether his mount could be a Triple Crown contender, he added: 'I got asked about it before the Guineas and there were still three races to go!
'Ruling Court is heading into the most important race now. I'll answer the question after Saturday as I don't think I can answer it in a sensible way right now.'
The biggest threat to Ruling Court appears to be Aidan O'Brien, who has saddled a record 10 Derby winners, including the last two and eight in the last 13 years.
His chief hope this weekend appears to be Delacroix, who has impressed in winning the Ballysax Stakes and the Derby Trial at Leopardstown this spring and is the chosen mount of Ryan Moore.
'Everything has gone well with him, he's won his two trials and we always thought of him last year as a potential Derby horse,' said O'Brien.
'We've been very happy with both of his runs. We found out that he gets a strongly-run mile and a quarter and there's every chance that he will get a mile and a half.
'He has form on all types of ground and he's a big, powerful horse. We feel he has gone the right way every week really.'
At the start of the year Delacroix's stablemate The Lion In Winter was at the head of ante-post lists for the Derby, but an interrupted spring campaign and defeat in the Dante at York have dented his reputation.
'He'd only the two runs as a two-year-old, winning his maiden at the Curragh and then winning the Acomb at York. The Acomb is over seven furlongs on a quick track and you're never sure, but we always thought that there was a strong possibility that he could (be a Derby horse),' O'Brien added.
'He's a good traveller, that's what he did in the Acomb and the Dante. I think Ryan was very happy with the way he travelled in the Dante, he travelled down the straight well and as he was getting ready to have a go he just got a little bit chopped and with a horse needing the run as badly as he did, that would be a big disadvantage to him.
'Everything has gone well since York and we couldn't have asked any more from him really.'
The Ballydoyle handler's trio is completed by Chester Vase winner Lambourn, of whom he said: 'He had a lovely run first time and then he ran a lovely race in Chester. There's no doubt he looks like a horse that will stay further, he's straightforward and obviously he got the trip in Chester well.
'You couldn't be happier with him at Chester as we knew it would be plenty sharp enough for him, but he still coped with it and we're looking forward to seeing him run again.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu proves too strong for Naomi Osaka in Washington
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British number one ranking after winning her first meeting with four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. 'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet.
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Raducanu beats Osaka but Norrie & Evans lose in DC
Britain's Emma Raducana is through to the quarter-finals of the Washington Open after beating four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in straight sets. After previously upsetting Ukranian seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in round one, England's Raducanu produced a dominant performance to beat former world number one Osaka 6-4 6-2. The 2021 US Open women's singles champion will face wildcard Maria Sakkari in the last eight after the Greek player knocked out American second seed Emma Navarro. However, in the men's singles, Britons Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans were eliminated in the last 16. British number two Norrie lost to 14th seed Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7-3) 6-3. After a tight first set which was decided by a tie-break, American Nakashima twice broke Norrie's serve in the second to reach the quarter-finals. Evans, who won the tournament in 2023, fought back from 5-3 down and saved a match point to force a tie-break in the second set against Corentin Moutet but the Frenchman prevailed in straight sets, winning 6-2 7-6 (7-4). Raducanu, the British number three, won the first set in 38 minutes after successfully converting her only break point in the fifth game. She then immediately broke Osaka's serve at the beginning of the second set and after saving a break point in the fourth game, broke her serve for a second time to take a 4-1 lead. With Japan's Osaka serving to stay in the match, Raducanu could not convert her first match point in the seventh game. But after spurning a second match point and saving a break point, Raducanu completed the victory at the third attempt, winning the second set 6-2. Raducanu is due to be in women's doubles action later on Thursday, partnering Elena Rybakina against Giuliana Olmos and Aldila Sutjiadi in the quarter-finals.
Leader Live
25 minutes ago
- Leader Live
North Coast takes Tyros triumph in style
Joseph O'Brien's charge had been beaten just under three lengths by Flushing Meadows on his debut at the Curragh in June before winning next time out and chasing home Daytona in Listed prize on his latest start. He was sent off a 3-1 chance against the Aidan O'Brien-trained 30-100 market leader Flushing Meadows, who was only just beaten in Group Three company on his most recent start,. Under a positive ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle, North Coast more than had the measure of the favourite, coming home a six-length winner, although Ryan Moore did ease his mount a little in the closing stages. Paddy Power put North Coast in as a 25-1 chance for next year's 2000 Guineas and Derby, with a Group One date likely to be next on the agenda. 'That's probably a good trip for him, a stiff seven furlongs,' said the winning trainer. 'He ran great in Naas and you'd have to be impressed with what he did today. 'I backed him up a bit quick coming here, so we'll probably go straight to the National Stakes now rather than going for the Futurity on the way. That would be my immediate thought. 'He's a smart colt and has an exciting future. 'I was very impressed with his last half-furlong. It looked like it was going to be an eyeballing match down to the line but he really pulled away again.' Composing made virtually all the running to register a comfortable success in the Saudi Cup Silver Flash Stakes. Fifth on debut at the Curragh in May, she broke her maiden back at that track last month, prompting Aidan O'Brien to raise her sights to Group Three level here. Moore was eager to get to the front and allowed to stride on, he dictated the pace aboard the 4-9 favourite and Composing never looked like being caught, eventually pulling three and a quarter lengths clear of the staying-on Skydance. The Wootton Bassett filly was cut to 16-1 from 25s by Paddy Power for both the 1000 Guineas and Oaks next year, with O'Brien rating her a potential Group One challenger later in the campaign. 'We're delighted with her, she's a lovely, straightforward filly,' said O'Brien, who was winning the race for the fourth successive season. 'She won lovely the last day and Ryan loved her. She was very professional. 'She'll go for the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh next and could be a filly for the Moyglare.'
