Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby: Ground boost for Sunway
Trainer David Menuisier is hoping for quick ground at the Curragh on Sunday as he prepares Sunway for a tilt at his second Derby.
Winner of the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last autumn, the three-year-old finished a never-nearer seventh in the Prix Du Jockey Club on his latest start.
However the trainer feels there are reasons to believe he can fare better in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, telling Wednesday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “The plan is go to Ireland. In the Jockey Club he was a bit unlucky at the start really having clipped heels and was nearly brought down. He wasn’t far off falling over and Oisin (Murphy) wasn’t far off falling off which made him shuffle back during the race and he was too far back to be a major player.
“Saying that he was beaten four-and-a-half lengths for the win, three-quarters-of-a-length for fourth place and was closing nicely. He ran really strongly through the line which is why we feel the step up in trip will suit him at the Curragh and I’m eager to see him on quicker ground this time around.
“The Jockey Club was on the soft side and he’s only really run once on quick ground and that was the day he made his debut at Sandown and he was really impressive, showing a big change of gear, it will be interesting to see how much the ground can help him improve on Sunday.
“The horse is a very, very good mover, he moves like a cat and is very supple. I can’t see why he won’t handle quicker conditions.”
So what are his chances of getting the better of the Epsom second and third Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles at the weekend?
“I tend to look at him first rather than the opposition. My goal and my job is to have the horse in the best possible shape and that’s why he goes to Ireland in really, really good form. So then he’s either good enough or he isn’t,” Menuisier added.
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