Racing: High out of reach but Ballingarry in the frame

Occasionally the Irish Derby is little more than the final few yards of a lap of honour for the winner of the Epsom original. Yet it would be wrong to refer to tomorrow's Classic across the plains of the Curragh as a one-horse contest. For a start, there will be eight animals lined up to take on High Chaparral, and, in addition, the Blue Riband victor might find this even easier than the colloquial race title suggests.

Aidan O'Brien, the colt's trainer, withdrew three horses from French assignments last week when they were found to have "abnormal blood pictures". He will have to have taken out Hancock's arm-full to deny High Chaparral, who could probably be suffering from elephantiasis and still win this.

The son of Sadler's Wells will be better suited by the Curragh than he was the Surrey Downs and is reported to have flourished since his exertions there. Michael Kinane, who rode Galileo to success in similar circumstances last year, must now be pondering that for him Irish Derbys are becoming like buses.

Although these thoughts are probably enough to compromise the favourite's chance, we must look elsewhere for a bet, especially as High Chaparral is at odds as low as 1-4 and therefore unbackable.

The market insists that the most likely runner-up is Royal Ascot's King Edward VII Stakes winner, Balakheri, who, in the absence of the suspended Johnny Murtagh, will be the mount of Pat Eddery. He has recently moved into second place behind Sir Gordon Richards as the most successful jockey of all time in Britain and you get a glimpse of his longevity when you scan the list of his winners in this race: Grundy, El Gran Senor, Law Society and Commander In Chief. The first of those was 27 years ago.

Michael Stoute's Balakheri is trying to follow the tracks of Shareef Dancer, who won the Ascot race and then the Irish Derby for the Newmarket trainer in 1983. But I knew Shareef Dancer, and Balakheri is no Shareef Dancer.

Next up in the betting is In Time's Eye, whose trainer, Dermot Weld, has been bedevilled by O'Briens down the years. His colt was beaten a length by High Chaparral when receiving 7lb in Leopardstown's Derby Trial so he should at least have the favourite in vision at the winning post.

This, though, has the feel of another Ballydoyle benefit, just as it was in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. The Co Tipperary crew tomorrow is completed by Sholokhov, a likely pacemaker, the Gallinule Stakes winner Della Francesca and Ballingarry, the runner-up from the Derby Italiano.

The last-named is the each-way nibble and it is not difficult to see why. The distance will suit, he has Group form and is the mount of his yard's No 2, Seamus Heffernan. A pound each-way on him will return much in excess of £2 win High Chaparral.

Luckily for the French, O'Brien is not represented in tomorrow's Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, a trial, albeit a valuable one, for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October. Aquarelliste, who was second to Sakhee in the Bois de Boulogne last October, unveils her less than feminine form here and Elie Lellouche's filly will have the benefit of a stablemate, Virginian, and the best form in the race. Her nearest pursuer is expected to be the Grand Prix de Chantilly winner, Anabaa Blue.

Saint-Cloud is not twinned with Newcastle, where, today, something rather different, the roll-up, Flat cap and grime-under-the-fingernail contest which was once the Pitmen's Derby, takes place.

The Northumberland Plate remains a prize for plunder for the southern yards, notably by Paul Cole, who is pointing at a fourth win for his Whatcombe yard. His Archduke Ferdinand, last year's victor, was second in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot last Saturday, but that is not enough to make him the favourite. Indeed, it is not enough to make him the fancied representative of his stable. That honour is bestowed on Mr Dinos (next best 3.20), who was runner-up in the Queen's Vase last Friday to Mamool. There were some good horses behind that day and the three-year-old escapes a penalty for the effort.

As the well-qualified Undeterred has received such a disadvantageous draw in the Northern Sprint Handicap, there is confidence behind TELESTO (2.45), who would have won last Friday at Newmarket but for a dreadful run. He has been blessed by a good draw and Stoute does not send them up here just so they can get coal dust in their lungs.