Racing: Cumani colt on song for Derby

THEY WERE racing at Epsom yesterday, but to be frank, you would hardly have known. A few hundred punters turned up to rattle around in the vast grandstands, which in less than two months' time will cram in many thousands for the final Derby of the century. On the hill in the middle of the course where some serious debauchery will be going on come the afternoon of 5 June, the occasional local wandered past with a dog.

It was a rather eerie place to be, and the sight of a big field galloping around Tattenham Corner and down the home straight past almost empty enclosures was far from the day's strangest. A few hours earlier, the senior management of United Racecourses, Epsom's parent company, had assembled to launch their promotional campaign for this year's Derby. This included, among other things, a song commissioned from - brace yourselves - Chas 'N' Dave, which seemed to be called Dahn Ver Derby.

The vision of Sue Ellen and Andrew Wates, respectively the fairly posh managing director and very posh chairman of UR, with fixed smiles and heads nodding gently to the Cockney beat, was worth turning up for in itself.

Some might wonder whether Epsom really needed to sink quite so low to pull in the crowds (although another view would be that in providing the music for an advertising jingle on local radio, Chas 'N' Dave themselves have finally found their level).

Wates, though, pointed out that "on the Hill, that's our market". Since the main enclosures sold out last year and will almost certainly do so again, packing more punters on to the Hill is the most obvious way to increase the attendance figures.

The course is understandably keen to build on the success of last year's race, when the crowds were well up for the first time in a decade, and the Derby Day buzz was almost as infectious as in the 1970s and early 1980s. They are also keen to respond to Andre Fabre, the best trainer in France, who recently claimed that these days, the Derby was "living on its reputation".

Andrew Cooper, the clerk of the course, insisted yesterday that in terms of the average rating of its winners, the Derby is more than a match for any Classic in Europe, including the French version, the Prix du Jockey- Club. "The winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club is consistently about 2lb inferior to the Derby winner, and the Irish Derby winner is about 1lb inferior," Cooper said. He was too polite to point out that while Fabre has won almost every decent race in Europe at least twice, he has yet to saddle a single Derby winner.

Far more important than point-scoring, though, is the question of what is actually going to win on the first Saturday in June. An early clue arrived yesterday when Luca Cumani's Daliapour, who was already a 16-1 chance for the Derby, led all the way in the Blue Riband Trial over the final 10 furlongs of the Classic course, and showed enough to keep him at that price until he has been tested in stronger company.

"I'm very pleased, but this was the first match of the season," Cumani, who saddled High-Rise to win last year's race, said. Like High-Rise - and Cumani's other Derby winner, Kahyasi - Daliapour will now run in next month's Derby Trial at Lingfield, where he should meet sterner opposition. "He probably does more at home on the gallops than he had to do here today," his trainer said. "But at least we know that he acts on the course."

Cumani will not have a runner in the first Classic of the season, the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday week, but when pressed yesterday, his tip was Island Sands, who arrives back from Godolphin's winter quarters in Dubai within the next few days. Godolphin took five horses out of the race at yesterday's forfeit stage, including Dubai Millennium and Iftitah, while Killer Instinct, favourite for the race until his defeat at Newbury last Saturday, has also been removed.

A total of 34 horses remain in the 2,000 Guineas, while there are 36 still in the 1,000 Guineas, which could cause problems since the safety limit on the July course, the temporary home of the two Classics, is just 20. There is little danger, though, that Moavia, Criquette Head's entry and the ante-post favourite, will be ballotted out, even though she has yet to acquire a partner for her big date. "Her racecourse gallop at Maisons- Laffitte last Friday has had a real galvanising effect," her trainer said yesterday. "She is a lot sharper now. Kieron Fallon might now be unavailable, but we've had no shortage of applicants for the ride."

n The first day of the Perth Festival fell victim to wet weather yesterday and today's meeting is subject to a 7.15am inspection. If the card goes ahead, the mares novices' hurdle which should have been run yesterday will take place at 5.20.

n Carlisle's meeting tomorrow remains in doubt after an inspection of the course yesterday. Officials are to have another look at the track at 7.30am today. "The going is heavy and still not raceable," the clerk of the course said.

ACCEPTORS

2,000 Guineas: Adair, Al Naba, Alrassaam, Anschluss, Auction House, Bahamian Bandit, Ballet Master, Berlioz, Bienamado, Brancaster, Commander Collins, Compton Admiral, Compton Arrow, Debbie's Warning, Desaru, Easaar, Enrique, Exeat, Gold Academy, Island Sands, Lavery, Markan, Mujahid, Mukhalif, Namidm Orpen, Raise A Grand, Red Sea, Restless War, Rhythm Band, Saffron Waldon, Stravinsky, Triple Dash, Way Of Light.

1,000 Guineas: Artistic Blue, Atlantic Destiny, Barafamy, Blue Cloud, Boomerang Blade, Bountiful Lady, Calando, Capistrano Day, Circle of Gold, Crystal Downs, Etizaaz, Evening Promise, Fairy Queen, Fear And Greed, Fragrant Oasis, Gipsy Rose Lee, Golden Silca, Greensand, Hasty Words, Hula Angel, Imperial Beauty, Jig, Kilting, Kuwait Dawn, Lamzena, Magda, Moiava, Mother of Pearl, Musical Treat, Pescara, Rangoon Ruby, Sunspangled, Valentine Waltz, Wannabe Grand, Wince, Zahrat Dubai.