Legendary jockey Kieran Fallon – who rides work for Godolphin – has given some fascinating insight into the credentials of big Epsom hopes Ruling Court and Desert Flower.
The Charlie Appleby-trained pair have already tasted Classic success this spring, having won the Betfred 2000 Guineas and 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, respectively, in early-May, and Fallon is not shying away from how highly-regarded Desert Flower in particular is held.
Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme, the three-time Derby winner and four-time Oaks hero said: “I’m not going to say she (Desert Flower) will win because it’s a race and we know what Epsom’s like.
“(But) she is a very, very good filly. She’s probably one of the smartest fillies I think we’ve seen for a long time.
“I’ll never forget the first day I’ve seen her when she was going to Newmarket (on debut) – she was a standout then and the guy that rides her in the morning is a South African guy and I remember saying to him ‘jeez, she’s a beauty isn’t she?’ and he said ‘I don’t think she’ll win, I think she needs a trip’. He got that bit right, but he didn’t tell me she wanted a mile and a half! I think it was six or seven and he felt she wanted a mile.
“She just got better and better with every run. She’s sweet and lovely to be around, she’s everything you’d want. I would love to be riding her."
When put to him which of the two, he’d prefer to ride at Epsom, Fallon stated it would be Desert Flower in the Oaks over Ruling Court in the Derby, “by a mile”.
“She’s a classy filly,” he added. “Obviously if they're going to Epsom for a Classic, they’re all classy, but she’s super-classy."
'You can't make a horse get a trip'
Of 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court, he said: "He went to Dubai for the winter and he was difficult. He was a difficult ride and his rider Michael Metcalfe has done a brilliant job with him.
"This horse was difficult and now, he's like a mouse. He's totally switched off.
"He's bred to stay and I think Charlie has him where he wants him now. So it's all systems go, the best trial over the years would always be by a mile the Guineas. I thought it was a good Guineas. I think William (Buick) was brilliant - when he kicked.
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"The Rowley Mile is a really hard track to ride and I remember someone saying to me I want to read Fred Archer's book. When he was asked what was the hardest track in the country to ride, he said the Rowley Mile. But it is, knowing when to kick and when to sit. If you sit too long and then you're asking them to go down the hill, which I think Kieran Shoemark did (on Field Of Gold), he just sat for a stride and that stride got him beaten I think. If he went with William, it would have been a different ball game. But it doesn't make a difference now, William was brilliant.
"I think going into the Derby, he (Ruling Court) has had plenty of time, he's totally switched off now and the only worry I would have is if it's a big field with a lot of 'dead wood' in there. Because you're going to have to switch him off. You can't make a horse get a trip - he either gets it or he doesn't. I would still try and ride the same race, you want to be handy, we always called it the Lester Piggott position, and saving ground."
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