5/18/12 -
Ektihaam, a fine runner-up to the impressive Bonfire in the Group 2 Dante
Stakes at York’s May meeting, is a very unlikely starter for the Investec
Derby, even though he is still a 16/1 pick in the
Epsom Derby betting odds
with some firms, writes Elliot Slater.
Roger Varian’s three-year-old is not entered in the Epsom showcase event, so
he would need to be added to the classic field at considerable expense.
The prospect of supplementing the son of Invincible Spirit for the blue
riband contest seems not to appeal to connections, who believe that, at this
stage of his career, the Dante trip of 10 furlongs is about as far as they
would like their horse to go.
Jockey Tadgh O’Shea suggested that his mount’s stamina was stretched to the
limit, over the last few yards of the trip on the Knavesmire, an opinion
that concurs with that of his trainer and owner for the time being.
Ektihaam did well to last as long as he did at York, having taken a strong
hold through the first couple of furlongs, before settling into a nice
rhythm under O’Shea, who was riding the horse for the first time. Champion
jockey, Paul Hanagan, had been on board when Sheik Hamdan al Maktoum’s colt
made an impressive seasonal reappearance at Newbury, four weeks earlier.
Driven up to challenge Bonfire just over a furlong from home, there was very
little between the pair for a few strides, before the stronger stamina and
staying pedigree of the eventual winner kicked in, and he forged away to
score by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Ektihaam nonetheless ran a fine race and Varian is thought to now be
considering a crack at the French Derby at Chantilly, next month, a race run
over the 10 furlong trip that seems (at this point), to be the ideal
distance for a horse who is fast developing into a smart performer.
The
Betfair
Royal Ascot
page has more information on the upcoming event, as well as gambling tips
for the popular race.