SATURDAY, 4 JULY 2020 year=s winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) as a Galileo son of an OF LOVE, KINGS Australasian mare, this time the supremely-talented Atlantic Jewel (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), has the able assistance of man- AND EMPERORS of-the-moment Seamie Heffernan. Due to be confined to two weeks= quarantine when returning to Ireland from Chantilly on Sunday night, the vital cog in the Ballydoyle machine could have at least one more Classic in the bag by then to add to his brace since racing returned. AThe decision on what was likely to run wasn=t made until late, but I ended up with four rides in four Classics,@ he said on Friday. AI rode Russian Emperor as a 2-year-old and rated him extremely highly, but he got a nick that day and it put him off for the season,@ he added. AHe won from an impossible position at Naas and was a little bit unlucky [when second in the June 9 G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial] at Leopardstown. He goes there on the back of a win at Ascot, just like the Irish Derby winner, and he=s a proper ride in that he only uses what he has to until you have to go. He=s not a horse that wastes any gas. Epsom is a very peculiar track and they have to handle it, but I=m happy to Derby favourite English King | Megan Ridgewell be on him. The Guineas is the best Derby trial and we know the pedigree of Kameko, so I=ll be having a bit of a look at him.@ Cont. p2 By Tom Frary Saturday sees racing continue its measured defiance of the chaos around the globe, with the 241st renewal of one of the beautiful races, the G1 Investec Derby, emanating light as a beacon to the world=s audience from its traditional home of Epsom Downs in Surrey. As it is, this will likely be the only post- Royal Ascot one, which adds a fascinating new dimension to a dramatically purse-reduced renewal and also to the stage- sharing G1 Investec Oaks. Due to the vagaries of the current situation, only one of the 24 colts and fillies lining up for the two mile-and-a-half Classics raced pre-lockdown and that is the Laurie Macri colour-bearer Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). There has barely been time to draw breath for protagonists and connections alike since the wheels began turning again in England at the start of last month. Russian Emperor, who got the jump on his peers with a maiden win on the season-opening Ryan Moore and Love will be reunited in the Oaks | Racing Post Mar. 23 Naas card that turned out to be a false dawn, ironically has been one of the busiest since racing resumed in his native Ireland. One of three in the Derby who will be having their third IN TDN AMERICA TODAY start in less than a month, he is also one of four Royal Ascot winners bidding for a unique double, having taken a renewal of MCKINZIE HEADS LOADED RUNHAPPY MET MILE the June 17 G3 Hampton Court S. that had the feel of a A deep field of eight will line up for Saturday's highly anticipated 127th renewal of the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. at Belmont replacement Dante. Park. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Russian Emperor, who bears a striking resemblance to last TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 17 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 4 JULY 2020 Saturday=s Racing Preview cont. Despite the tight squeeze for most to get here, both the Derby Aidan O=Brien has no concerns about the trip for Love and and Oaks look at least up to standard and Qatar Racing=s said, AEverything has been good with her and although it=s a big Kameko (Kitten=s Joy) and Coolmore=s Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) step up in trip, we always thought she=d be comfortable doing add crucial Newmarket Guineas-winning stratum to their that. With a nice bit of ground, hopefully she=ll be happy. The respective races. The Derby=s age-old quandary is present once gap between the Guineas and the Oaks also gives her a chance, again for connections of Kameko. Will he turn out more Sea the she never missed a beat the whole way. The timing is lovely.@ Stars (Ire) or Camelot (GB) than Dawn Approach (Ire) or Saxon O=Brien also saddles Evie Stockwell=s Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo Warrior (Jpn)? Only the hallowed span of just over two and a {Ire}), who was second in the G2 Ribblesdale S. ahead of half minutes of galloping up and down, across and around the stablemate Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and Heffernan gets the Downs will tell them and us. call-up on the former. AI=ve been very lucky for Mrs Stockwell and everyone is happy with Ennistymon,@ commented the rider, who rode the dam Lahinch (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and whose high-profile successes in these colours include the 2016 G1 Cheveley Park S. on Brave Anna (War Front). AHer Ascot run was great, the trip and ground are good for her, so she just needs to shake a leg and she could collect.@ Coronation Of A King? At war with Russian Emperor is English King (Fr) (Camelot), with Bjorn Nielsen=s bay looking in physique and performance as if he has been plucked from the mould of an archetypal, made- to-measure Epsom Derby colt. His June 5 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial success satisfied both the eye and the science in a rare symbiosis, but Thursday=s draw has to slightly temper the The 2000 Guineas winner Kameko | Racing Post enthusiasm that had been steadily building. It may be that Love has more cast-iron credentials to complete the sacred Frankie Dettori will need all of his tactical guile and experience Classic double on pedigree, being by the mighty grass-class to obtain an ideal spot the other side of the inevitable bunfight donor Galileo and a full-sister to two fillies who stayed even to the first left-hand bend. Trainer Ed Walker is only 37, but such further in Peach Tree (Ire) and Flattering (Ire). Out on her own at is the intensely competitive nature of the sport it is not the end of the June 7 G1 1000 Guineas, she appears rock-solid unrealistic that this could be the best shot at glory he will ever as long as the forecast overnight rain does not have too great an have. It is cruel fate that his great hope should be potentially impact on the going. Her only achilles heel in 2019 seemed to be compromised by post position in a race where the margins were ease in the ground, as she floundered when it rode like that in already tight, but to his credit he was unfazed when quizzed on the G2 Debutante S. and G1 Fillies= Mile. the subject on Friday. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 17 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 4 JULY 2020 AI have to say the draw doesn=t worry me,@ he stated. AFrankie=s not worried and the fact Ryan Moore didn=t choose his ride until after the draw and went for Mogul, who is next to us in two, suggests to me neither Frankie nor Ryan feel it is impossible to win from down there. Frankie has seen and done it all before. A few weeks ago I was expecting a smaller field, so it may be more tactical than normal, but then it=s always tactical Senior Vice President in the Derby. We=ve got the right man on board to navigate the Gary King waters.@ Twitter: @garykingTDN [email protected] + 1.732.320.0975 International Editor Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry Twitter: @collingsberry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson English King=s trainer Ed Walker | Racing Post Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN AWhen you=re sent a colt by Bjorn Nielsen, you work back from Marketing Manager the Derby,@ Walker added. ABjorn is a great man to train for, as Alayna Cullen everything is about the Derby--he=s either trying to produce Twitter: @AlaynaCullen fillies to produce him a Derby winner, or raise colts to win the [email protected] Derby. It=s a simple remit. It hasn=t worked out too many times for me, but thankfully this time it has. This is the highest level for Contributing Editors us, so it=s a real privilege to be here. We=re trying to contain Alan Carasso nerves, but there=s a great buzz in the yard and there has been Christina Bossinakis for weeks. There=s a buzz around Lambourn as William Muir has Cafe Racing a live chance with Pyledriver, Paul and Ollie Cole have a runner Sean Cronin and Andrew Balding isn=t far away and he=s obviously got a Tom Frary leading chance with Kameko, so it=s great.@ [email protected] Dark Horses In Ballydoyle Brigade Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Aidan O=Brien opts for safety in numbers once again, but that was also the case when Padraig Beggy delivered the goods on Regular Columnists the stable=s 40-1 outsider Wings of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake three years ago and this is an operation that has no truck with Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele established limitations. No other yard in Europe could saddle a maiden who has yet to achieve a placing in two starts in an Epsom Derby and it be considered anything other than a no- hoper.