Record Breaking Workforce may run in Irish Derby

By Stephen Dwyer

2 minutes, 31 seconds is all it took for Workforce to pass the post seven lengths ahead of the 100/1 Aidan O’Brien pacemaker, At First Sight. 2 minutes, 31 seconds is the fastest winning time ever recorded for a Derby, it is 13 seconds quicker than Shergar’s victory in 1981 and 5 seconds faster than Sea The Stars’ time when he won last year’s race. Workforce, trained by Sir Michael Stoute was awarded a rating of 128, one of the highest ratings in almost two decades for a winner of the Epsom classic to receive.

It was the fifth Derby win for Stoute, the first for three-time Champion Jockey Ryan Moore. Moore won the Oaks 24 hours earlier and was in scintillating form. The 6/1 Workforce was starting only his third race; he won a very decent 7f maiden in Goodwood last September. At Goodwood he beat subsequent Tattersall’s Timeform Million winner Oasis Dancer by a comfortable six lengths before finishing second in a strongly-run Dante in May. He was clearly a better horse for the experience and entered the Derby with strong place claims. The withdrawal of long-time favourite St. Nicholas Abbey resulted in Jan Vermeer starting 9/4 favourite. Without any luck in running, the colt lost both front shoes during the race and finished 12 lengths behind Khalid Abdulla’s Workforce.

Workforce was bred by Prince Abdulla’s Juddmonte Farms and is by the 2000 Guineas winner King’s Best out of a full-sister to Racing Post Trophy and St Leger winner Brian Boru. He was supplemented for the Derby and his targets may include a trip to the Curragh on June 27th. His trainer stated “The Irish Derby would obviously be considered, but I would say we need about 10 days to make a decision”

Stoute was quick to downplay the inevitable comparisons between Workforce and Shergar. Both are record holders however, Shergar with the winning distance margin record (10 lengths) and Workforce recording the fastest winning time. Stoute did however admit there is more to come from the colt, “He’s a big, sort of rangey horse, who’s certainly not fully developed by a long way”

Workforce is the first horse ever to lose the Dante and then win a Derby, he has nothing to prove. Looking to imitate Sea The Stars is a moot point. Whether he carries the famous green and pink colours of Khalid Abdulla to the Curragh or Longchamp really is immaterial, he is an exceptional middle distance colt with a surging turn of foot. In the few races he has left before retiring to stud we should enjoy watching him, we can run the analysis later.

I’m happiest of all for Ryan Moore. It was only in 2003 when he was a 19 year old Champion Apprentice Jockey. He is now 1/5 to complete his Champion Jockey hat-trick, his fourth in five years.

Moore has never won the Irish Derby.

Wouldn’t it be nice for him to take a trip to the Curragh?

By Stephen Dwyer