Fallon expecting big performance from Desert Flower
Kieren Fallon expects Desert Flower will take all the beating in the Oaks (David Davies for The Jockey Club)
'I think the Oaks is a foregone conclusion and she ticks all the boxes. She settles and will switch off nicely and she will be fine over the trip and she will go on any ground.
'She's the nicest filly I've seen in a long time and I thought she would maybe even be good enough to beat the colts.'
Few have ridden Epsom better than Fallon, who has the likes of Oath (Derby, 1995) and Kris Kin (Derby, 2003) on his roll of honour, while in 2004 he did the Epsom double by landing the Oaks on Ed Dunlop's Ouija Board before following up 24 hours later aboard Sir Michael Stoute's North Light in the Derby.
This is an achievement that awaits Appleby and Godolphin's number one pilot William Buick should both Desert Flower and his Derby mount, 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court, succeed this weekend.
However, while Fallon is steadfast in his belief in Desert Flower, he is wary of the challenge Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle team presents to the Classic-winning son of Justify in Epsom's showpiece event as he puts his stamina to the test.
Like Desert Flower, Ruling Court is bidding for a Classic double after winning the 2000 Guineas (David Davies for The Jockey Club)
'I think the Derby is an open race really,' added Fallon. 'Maybe it's best to stick with Ryan Moore and the draw for Delacroix (in 14) doesn't really matter if the horse is good enough.
'Ruling Court has lots of speed and won the best trial, but will he stay? I think Delacroix is guaranteed to stay whereas Ruling Court isn't. He's a horse with a lot of speed, but if there is a bit of cut in the ground it might not be ideal.
'Aidan has a great record in the race and you have to respect that, but it would be a very nice double if Charlie could do it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
19 hours ago
- BBC News
'I just love Derby ' - Rams fan and pop star Horan
"I get very emotional being at Pride Park, I just love this place. I love the ground, I love the vibe it gives off. I just love Derby County."I think John Eustace is one of the best, if not the best, manager in the league."Rams fan and former One Direction star Niall Horan speaks to BBC Radio Derby following the team's topsy-turvy 5-3 defeat by Coventry City on pop star also catches up with 1D fan and former Derby striker Malcolm to the full episode and more on Derby County on BBC Sounds.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Aidan O'Brien pulls ‘amazing' horse from £1.2million Juddmonte after odds collapse in ‘surprising and rapid' market move
No one could make sense of the odds changing so dramatically 'BURNED FINGERS' Aidan O'Brien pulls 'amazing' horse from £1.2million Juddmonte after odds collapse in 'surprising and rapid' market move Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AIDAN O'BRIEN has pulled 'amazing' filly Whirl from the £1.25million Juddmonte International - after her odds collapsed in a head-scratching market move. The Ballydoyle boss' long-time ante-post fav Delacroix was a worrying drifter in the markets on Sunday afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 It looked like long-time Juddmonte ante-post fav Delacroix was going to be pulled from the race after his odds drifted as stablemate Whirl's collapsed - but Aidan O'Brien declared the former and pulled the latter in a head-scratching market move Credit: Alamy He went all the way out to 6-1 - and 13-1 on the Betfair Exchange - having been 7-4 as his stablemate was hammered into 4-1 from 16s. The writing looked on the wall for the Coral-Eclipse winner as punters gave up hope of a rematch with John & Thady Gosden's Ombudsman. But just as it looked like the field was set, O'Brien declared Delacroix and left Whirl out of the York Ebor festival feature. The massive upheavel in the markets meant some cashed out bets on Delacroix believing he would be a non-runner. While those who followed the gamble on Whirl were left with 'burned fingers' after she wasn't declared. More to follow. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Coventry belief key to win at Derby
Belief was key to Coventry City's victory at Derby County on Saturday, says midfielder Victor Sky Blues came from 3-2 down to win 5-3 at Pride Park and record their first Championship victory of the season."It was a crazy game - throughout the game we had a feeling we could win, in the dressing room at half-time at 2-2, and we believed if we did well we could win it," Torp told BBC Radio CWR."We were really good winning second balls and we scored five goals which should be enough to win and it was - (scoring) five goals isn't something which happens in every game so we should enjoy that."The 26-year-old Dane scored his first goal of the season after latching on to a Milan van Ewijk pass to notch Coventry's fifth of the afternoon and is pleased with their unbeaten start to the campaign."It's a decent start - we go into every game with a mindset we want to win but with the first game (a 0-0 home draw with Hull City), if you can't win then don't lose and we put in a good performance here."Coventry are next in Championship action at home to QPR on Saturday, 23 August (15:00 BST)
