Dubai: Godolphin handler Saeed Bin Surour’s hopes for fast ground at Epsom have received an untimely knock with the Clerk of the Course stating that the ultimate aim was not to run the Derby on ground that was quicker than good to firm.
With the weather forecast for Epsom over the weekend looking unsettled, Andrew Cooper is determined not to make a commitment at this stage.
“The whole picture remains very unsettled and certainly either side of Wednesday we could see some showers. Thursday looks dry and there’s a mixed outlook for Friday — it looks a bit warmer but that could trigger off some shower activity,” he said in the Irish Times.
“If Wednesday’s [rain] misses us altogether I think we would only be doing our job if we took stock on Thursday morning and saw whether anything was necessary or appropriate because our ultimate aim for this meeting is not to run the Derby on anything quicker than good to firm.
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was good going. Even if we do get 5-10 mms of rain on Wednesday that could knock it back to the slow side in the short term. But this place dries out very quickly,” he added.
Bin Surour saddles True Story who finished third at York last month in the Dante Trial due to the rain-softened ground, which he blamed for undermining his colt’s potential.
“He needs good to firm ground, that’s his best surface,” Bin Surour said. “I’m hoping that the ground at Epsom does not come up soft, but the indications are that it will be on the good side. Anything other than that will not suit out horse.
True Story, however, provided his handler with a boost when delivering a smart piece of work over seven furlongs under Kieren Fallon at Newmarket last week.
“He’s in good shape and everything is in oder. We’re looking forward to Saturday’s race,” Bin Surour added.
