THE Derby (4:30) has always been a race for a maxim, passed down from wise racing folk through the generations. What would you expect for a race 241 years in existance? When Diomed became the first winner in 1780, they were hardly examining his sectional times.

But as old fashioned as such sayings may seem, the old Derby maxims still hold true in 2021 and have been well aired again this week notably – ‘a trainer doesn’t have a Derby horse if he thinks he has four’ and ‘the best Derby trial is the 2000 Guineas.’

First there were eight possibles, then there were five and now there is only one for Ballydoyle and the race is all the better for it. Bolshoi Ballet carries the hopes of Aidan O’Brien and ‘the lads’ in what could be construed as a massive vote of confidence in this colt. The last time Ballydoyle won the Derby with one single runner was with Galileo. More on this on page 13.

There is only one 2021 Group 1 winner in this field and that’s Mac Swiney. When the people wheel out the Guineas-best-Derby-trial principle, they usually mean the Newmarket version. Mac Swiney didn’t win it but he did beat the horse who did, his stablemate Poetic Flare, and so you could argue he is an even stronger candidate.

A classic winner having beaten another classic winner. The form book says he needs soft ground but Jim Bolger is pretty adamant he’ll be fine on good ground, if it dries out again tomorrow, after yesterday’s deluge.

And if one thing has happened this flat season, it is the reaffirmation that we should listen to Jim.

There has been lots of talk about the Derby not being the race it once was, that it should be moved back to a Wednesday, that breeders have now focussed their attention on speed rather than stamina and that outstanding winners of the race are few and far between these days. Maybe the best thing for the race, in the short term, would be simply a good British winner.

The home team has only won it twice in the last 10 years and you can’t really blame anyone for failing to get excited about big-priced winners like Wings Of Eagles or Serpentine.

Tetchy

Just like the Aussies have got a bit tetchy about not being able to win their own race, the Melbourne Cup, perhaps the Brits just need a win from one of their own to boost spirits.

Mohaafeth is bidding to give his trainer William Haggas a second win in the race 25 years after he won it with Shaamit. Third Realm is only Roger Varian’s second ever runner but his first was Kingston Hill who finished second to Australia in 2014.

John Leeper, son of Frankel and Snow Fairy, the 2011 Oaks winner, has been well backed, not least because Frankie Dettori now rides.

Again, there was consternation from some when Adam Kirby was jocked off (now rides Adayar) but in some ways, you just have to admire Dettori, who recorded his 21st classic win in the Oaks yesterday. Just like last year, the Italian is still jocking lads off Derby horses now at the age of 50.

Plate to the Dash - Coleman aiming high again

KEVIN Coleman wasn’t the first and won’t be the last jumps jockey to turn flat trainer and he’s made a fair fist of it in just a short space of time.

From only a handful of runners the Galway Plate-winning rider sent out five winners from his Carrick-on-Suir base last season and just yesterday week he had a memorable double at Fairyhouse. That took his tally to three for the season after Only Spoofing ran out an impressive winner of a six-furlong handicap at Navan earlier.

Coleman is now aiming for the stars with the seven-year-old gelding today in the World Pool Dash (3:45).

“He came up for sale there just before Christmas and I thought he was good value at 16,000 (guineas). Seamus (Mannion, part owner) had horses with me before. He won very well at Navan and we just thought we might as well give it a go, we might not ever get the chance again.”

Only Spoofing received a 9lbs raise from the handicapper for his three-length win at Navan, taking his mark to a career high of 89. However he’s likely to relish the quick conditions at Epsom today, given five of his nine wins have come on good to firm ground.

“He’ll love the ground,” Coleman asserted. “The track is unique, that’s a complete unknown. He seems to run well on the tough tracks and this is the opposite, it’s downhill, but as I said, it was worth a shot. He’s in good order, he’s traveled over well and we’ll give it a go.”

The Dash is a unique test and unique race which explains why three of the runners in today’s field have accounted for five of the previous 10 wins in this race. Of that trio, the remarkable Caspian Prince has won this race three times and is making his seventh appearance in the race as a 12-year-old.

There are lots of former Irish-trained sprinters, like the former Michael O’Callaghan-trained pair Blue De Vega and Recon Mission, who have both made solid careers for themselves in Britain. Sunday Sovereign is also an interesting proposition.

The son of Equiano won two of his first three starts for Paddy Twomey impressively before being sold on for a presumably huge fee to King Power. He was a disappointing favourite in the Norfolk then and it was only on his previous run – a close second to Pendleton at York – that he began to show promise for his current connections.

Numbers:

7 - Caspian Prince will be making his seventh appearance in the Epsom Dash aged 12 today

€31 - the level stakes profit if you backed all Joe Murphy’s runners at Listowel in the last five seasons. The in-form trainer has five runners at the Kerry track across the weekend

24% - This is usually a time of the year Tipperary trainer John Ryan prospers. His eight wins from 33 runs equals a healthy strike rate and he is set for a busy weekend with xx runners declared at Tramore and Kilbeggan