Jane Chapple-Hyam is eyeing some of the significant prize-money in the Betfred Derby on June 6 with her outsider, Balzac.
With £2,000,000 guaranteed and prize-money down to 10th a big field is anticipated for the world's most famous Flat race at Epsom on the first Saturday in June.
Sixth place is worth £50,000 with the new prize-money structure for the race and Chapple-Hyam, having her first Derby runner, is hopeful that Balzac can claim a piece of the pie.
He won at Kempton on April 1 before finishing third to Saxon Street in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom, while he was also third to Maltese Cross in the Lingfield Derby Trial on May 9.
Balzac is generally 150/1 with the bookies for the race and will be ridden by Silvestre De Sousa.
"I think it’s worth a crack to be finishing in the top six," Chapple-Hyam said at the Betfred Derby Festival gallops morning on Tuesday.
"I’m not saying I’m going to win, but I’m going to give it a go for the other part of the race. In a funny kind of way I would imagine Silvestre [De Sousa] will ride him for third place.
"On the other hand if they left him alone in front you’d be very happy! That’s unlikely.
"He’s by Japan out of a High Chaparral mare, we should be alright. I bought him as a foal for this race so it’s so far so good, the plan is working.
"He’s still learning, but as a horse to deal with he’s good mannered. He’s a nice mover, he’s got good front legs.
"To come down here was a good plus. He’s had a gallop, he’s had a race and he’s been to Lingfield which is like a mini Epsom.
"It was all learning for him [running at Epsom and Lingfield] as he only had one run as a two-year-old, so now he’s had four runs.
"I just felt if I was going to come to the Derby you need all the experience you can get.
"Silvestre said he slid down there nicely. He went to the start nicely, he wasn’t keen or pulling.
"We’ll give it a go. He goes on any ground, I’d like it how it is today, it’s perfect."
Kiss the Alderman
Richard Hannon watched his Derby outsider Alderman work with one of owner Julie Wood's other horses, Barrister, from seven furlongs.
The trainer, whose 2024 runner Voyage – also owned by Julie Wood - unseated straight from the stalls, told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “He said he felt balanced, but he would do in that speed.
“He's a little bit out of it on the numbers, but he is a very nice horse by a good stallion and we like him quite a lot.
“First of all, we're hoping to get round this year! Dobbsy (Pat Dobbs, jockey) was walking the course after 50 yards (two years ago on Voyage)! He just knuckled coming out of the gate and Dobbsy had no chance.
“But, you see what people are made of on days like that. I mean, that was a Derby and it happened. I was just mouth wide open, I couldn't believe it.
“And I've got to say, Julie was absolutely fantastic, handled it brilliantly. I went down to her and saw her after the race and said, ‘I'm sorry, Julie’. She goes, ‘As long as Pat comes back alright and the horse comes back alright, it's absolutely fine’ and that’s makes you wish that she has something that runs well.”
Asked whether his brief was to continue finding the owner horses for the Betfred Derby, Hannon said: “Well, kind of. She's mad keen about these sort of horses now as well, because they take a bit longer to make and she's going to take her chance. And good luck to her.
“More people should do that. She enjoys it thoroughly and she's a great advert for the sport.”
Hannon said he was also impressed by the effort going into making the Betfred Derby a special event next week. He added: “There seems to be a lot more private, off to the side enclosures. Sometimes it's very hard to find bars in there because there's like few main bars.
“But there looks like there's a few nooks and crannies this year. And they've thought about it. And to get this weather it would be full anyway.
“But I have noticed it. It's been advertised a lot more. There's a lot more hype and a lot more coverage of it than I've ever known, which is great.”
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