Fremantle set to have Derby run

VODAFONE DERBY
Venue: Epsom Date: Saturday 7 June Time: 1600 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website (UK users only)

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Ryan Moore rode the horse to victory at Chester

Chester Vase winner Doctor Fremantle is set to be added to the field for next month's Epsom Derby.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained horse was an impressive winner at Chester and his odds for the Epsom race have been cut by a number of bookmakers.

He is expected to be included at the supplementary stage five days before the 7 June race at a cost of £75,000.

Stoute also has Tartan Bearer and Tajaaweed among the 21 runners currently declared for the race.

He has won the race four times through Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003) and North Light (2004).

There are eight Irish-trained contenders remaining - seven from champion trainer Aidan O'Brien including 2000 Guineas winner Henrythenavigator, Lingfield Derby trial winner Alessandro Volta and Dante Stakes runner-up Frozen Fire.

The remaining Irish-trained entry is New Approach but his handler Jim Bolger has said that the horse has been left in the race in error and will not line up.

The betting market is currently headed by another Irish challenger Casual Conquest, who won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial but who also must be supplemented for the race.

606: DEBATE This could be year of the outsider in the Derby CE

But trainer Dermot Weld and the horse's owners are keen not to rush a decision regarding his participation at Epsom.

Luca Cumani will be hoping Curtain Call can give him a third Derby win after victories for Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998).

The Sadler's Wells colt won comfortably on his reappearance at Nottingham last month but missed his next intended engagement in the Lingfield Derby Trial due to unsuitable ground.

Henry Cecil has given a strong indication that Kandahar Run could be given a chance after victory last time out in the Listed Newmarket Stakes.

"I don't know yet, but if he keeps going the right way he could possibly be a horse for the Epsom Derby. I will decide over the next 10 days," he said.

"I'm very happy with him. He seems very relaxed and has a good turn of foot. He may be entitled to be there."

Cecil did at one time have the ante-post favourite in the shape of Twice Over, but after finishing a well-beaten third in the Dante Stakes, he is now targetting Royal Ascot.

Godolphin still has two challengers in Rio De La Plata and Ibn Khaldun while there are three French-trained challengers in Ripple, Montmartre and Maidstone Mixture.

The four other remaining entries are the Mark Tompkins-trained Alan Devonshire, Bouguereau, who represents dual Vodafone Derby winning trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam, Bronze Cannon from the John Gosden yard and Feared In Flight, trained by Barry Hills.

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2008 Vodafone Derby entries

22122-63 ACHILL ISLAND (IRE) Aidan O'Brien IRE

1223-4 ALAN DEVONSHIRE Mark Tompkins

031-41 ALESSANDRO VOLTA Aidan O'Brien IRE

34-53 BASHKIROV Aidan O'Brien IRE

043-120 BOUGUEREAU Peter Chapple-Hyam

(0)(1)(1)-1 BRONZE CANNON (USA) John Gosden

62215-1 CURTAIN CALL (FR) Luca Cumani

13603-34 FEARED IN FLIGHT (IRE) Barry Hills

10-2 FROZEN FIRE (GER) Aidan O'Brien IRE

1123-1 HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (USA) Aidan O'Brien IRE

41111-0 IBN KHALDUN (USA) Saeed bin Suroor

211-21 KANDAHAR RUN Henry Cecil

010-52 KING OF ROME (IRE) Aidan O'Brien IRE

36(0)-(5)(3)0(3) MAIDSTONE MIXTURE (FR) Richard Chotard FR

-21 MONTMARTRE (FR) Alain de Royer Dupre FR

11111-2 NEW APPROACH (IRE) Jim Bolger IRE

311214-2 RIO DE LA PLATA (USA) Saeed bin Suroor

2-112 RIPPLE (FR) Jean Claude Rouget FR

10-1 TAJAAWEED (USA) Sir Michael Stoute

2-11 TARTAN BEARER (IRE) Sir Michael Stoute

4-22 WASHINGTON IRVING (IRE) Aidan O'Brien IRE