Racing: Bull Run demonstrates his Epsom credentials

Bull Run was true to his name yesterday as he made a rapid rush up the Derby charts in the aftermath of an extravagant success in the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom.

Bull Run was true to his name yesterday as he made a rapid rush up the Derby charts in the aftermath of an extravagant success in the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom.

By the time Johnny Murtagh was able to throw the anchor overboard from the David Loder-trained colt, Bull Run was 15 lengths clear of his field. It was a performance which persuaded Ladbrokes to go 16-1 for the premier Classic.

Now unbeaten in two starts, the son of Daylami is likely to depart from a route which was initially planned to have Royal Ascot as its first serious stopping-off point. A supplementary fee of £75,000 for the Epsom race on 5 June beckons.

"After he won his maiden at Windsor, I had thought about leaving him alone for a while and training him for the King Edward VII Stakes," Loder said. "But now I will need to talk to Sheikh Mohammed and find out what he wants to do.

"He might not have beaten that much here, but I was very impressed and faster ground shouldn't be a problem. I felt this race might come a bit quick for him, but our hand was forced as we were struggling to find another opportunity. We decided to come and I'm very pleased."

DERBY (Epsom, 5 June) Ladbrokes: 7-2 Yeats, 8-1 American Post, Salford City, 10-1 Snow Ridge, 12-1 Bago, 14-1 Grey Swallow, 16-1 Bull Run, Magritte, 20-1 others.