IN a sense, it is surprising that there haven’t been more no-hopers declared for the Derby in recent times but the Diore Lia saga from last week highlighted an anomaly that really should be addressed now.

If you have the funds and the inclination, as things stand there is nothing to stop any over-adventurous owner from running his or her three-year-old colt or filly in the Derby, but there should be.

There really should be a minimum entry requirement for the Derby and for a finite selection of other races.

This is not to detract from the romanticism of the Derby. It is not to exclude the Terimons or the Blue Judges or the Blues Travellers from running. But those three were not no-hopers, despite their inflated odds.

Terimon won his maiden 10 days before he chased Nashwan home in the Derby. Blue Judge had finished third behind Commander In Chief in a conditions race at Newmarket before he finished second behind him in the Derby.

Blues Traveller had finished second in the Dee Stakes before he finished third in the same Derby.

Diore Lia had been beaten 28 lengths and 18 and a half lengths respectively in two maidens, sent off at 33/1 for the first and at 100/1 for the second. That is just taking the romanticism of the Derby too far, into the bowels of farce.

You have to reach a minimum level before you can enter any event in the Olympic Games.

We have ratings in horse racing, we have a ready-made barometer by which performance can be measured. We already have a logical method through which to go about establishing a minimum entry requirement.

And ratings don’t lie. Pealer was the lowest-rated horse in Saturday’s Derby, and he finished last, 18th of 18. Crowned Eagle was the only other horse who was rated lower than 100 and he finished 15th.

Wings Of Eagles was not the highest-rated horse in the race (that would just be too easy) but he was not far off it, 109, 4lb lower than the highest-rated horses.

Incidentally, now he is rated 119. Now he is highest.

Churchill in cinemas

CHURCHILL is in Irish cinemas from this Friday, June16th, which is good timing, just four days before he runs in the St James’s Palace Stakes.