The turf
No surprises
Robin Oakley
When a trainer or jockey tells you that 'this one can eat them all for breakfast on the gallops', you should normally be as careful as when a politician tells an election press conference that 'there is nothing in our programme which requires any extra taxation'. It all depends what then gets into the programme, or what else was on the gallops. But when the advice comes from Greville Starkey, senior work rider to Michael Stoute, it has to be taken rather more seriously.
In his days as a top jockey Starkey won the Guineas on Dancing Brave, one of the best we have ever seen. He knows a good horse when he feels one beneath him and it was Greville Starkey's belief that Entrepreneur could leave Desert Story and Yalaietanee for dead which lay behind those Newmarket whispers in recent weeks that Entrepreneur was not just a worthy favourite for the Derby over Epsom's 1m4f undulations but that he had the speed to take the Guineas over half a mile shorter as well. Regular racegoers who had not picked up the vibes should start turning down their car stereos before the damage becomes permanent.
Readers of this column, I am glad to say, will not have been surprised by Entrepreneur's victory. Nor by the fact that the horse which finished just three quarters of a length behind him was Revoque. After Yalaietanee's defeat of Revoque in the Greenham at Newbury, I reported Robert Sangster's continued faith that his colt, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, would be in at the death in the Guineas.
Many, Sangster included, feel that Revoque should in fact have won at New- market. Unable to find daylight in the early stages of the race, he made up more than six lengths on the winner in the final quar- ter mile and his ever-candid jockey, John Reid, told the owner he should have won by two or three lengths. The question now is whether Revoque will be allowed anoth- er tilt at his conqueror in the Derby. Robert Sangster was originally believed to be keen, but Peter Chapple-Hyam is now more inclined to keep his charge to a mile.
I hope he changes his mind. There is nothing like a good sporting rematch to quicken the pulse, whether it is Ali versus Foreman for the `Thrilla in Manila', Con- nors versus McEnroe on the Centre Court at Wimbledon or Coe versus Ovett over 1,500 metres. Now in Sangster's Entrepreneur versus Michael Tabor's Revoque we could have a talking point to keep the excitement going until Derby Day itself on 7 June.
Those who think that Revoque can turn the tables point to that flying finish at New- market after John Reid's traffic problems in the early stages. They blame the jockey for not finding him a better position sooner in the race. But you cannot go without the horse and Revoque did not look to have the speed in the early stages to give himself a better chance later on. In the Derby he would have plenty of time to warm up for his challenge.
Those in the Entrepreneur camp point out that their horse is more likely to come on for the experience of the Guineas, which was his first race of the season. He was clearly still on a learning curve, whin- nying in the parade ring and sweating up before the race. He had been defeated to his trainer's dismay in his very first race after being distracted by an in-season filly, and clearly need more practice in getting down to the job in hand rather than dream- ing of the delights to come in his stud career when this tedious racing period is over. You would have to say that he was more likely to have come on for the race at Newmarket than Revoque, and that is the view which the bookmakers have taken.
The other factor to note is that had Entrepreneur, ridden by the ice-cool, big- race specialist Mick Kinane, been the one to get beaten at Newmarket, it would have been his pilot who came in for stick. Kinane was forced to make much more use of the inexperienced colt than he would have wished to do, in order to get clear of what might have become a scrimmage on the rails. Had he not had to put him in front nearly three furlongs out, a daunting test for one so inexperienced, it is likely that Entrepreneur would have won by a bigger margin.
By Sadler's Wells, Entrepreneur is bred for the Derby distance. And the other rec- ommendation he carries for the big race is that even the cautious Michael Stoute, a man who will think several times before recommending the jam over the mar- malade, was beaming all over his face after the race and quite happily declaring that his new star had greater speed than Sher- gar. Entrepreneur will now go straight for the Derby. Revoque, a lazier type who needs more exercise, is likely to go first for the Irish 2,000 Guineas while connections mull over further plans.
Those in need of a little more punting money in the meantime should watch out for the reappearance of Kevin Bishop's Welton Arsenal. Hot on the heels of the leaders in Kempton's Jubilee Handicap on Monday, he was coming to win his race under 9st 21b when those in front of him closed the gate. There was simply nothing more Paul Eddery could do but sit and wait for another day. Keep an eye open too for Reg Akehurst's handicappers. The Epsom maestro, after a leanish season by his stan- dards last year, is really coming back to form.
Robin Oakley is political editor of the BBC.
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