Racing: Successful raid for Barathea

BARATHEA won a Classic yesterday, but no one seemed to notice. The Newmarket raider landed the Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh but had to survive a stewards' inquiry and his winning margin - a head over Fatherland - cut no ice with racing's search for a showdown brigade. They had sought a wide-margin victory from the Luca Cumani-trained colt to set up a meeting with the Derby favourite, Tenby, at Epsom.

Cumani was delighted with Barathea but refused to confirm him for the Derby, saying: 'I am glad Barathea has won the Guineas in Ireland. He is still a baby and this was his first race away from Newmarket. He came to take the lead pretty well but Michael Roberts says he was rather lazy when hitting the front. On pedigree you would say he does not get a mile and a half, but we will have to sleep on this before making any decision about Epsom.'

Ladbrokes and Coral now make last Wednesday's Tote Dante Stakes winner Tenby 1-2 for the Derby - Barathea is 8-1 - and some fear this year's race will be even more one-sided than in 1981, when the 10-11 favourite Shergar won by what was officially 10 lengths but looked more like the length of Epsom High Street.

However, respect from bookmakers is no guarantee of Derby success. El Gran Senor started at 8-11 in 1984 but it didn't do him much good. He went under by a short-head to 14-1 shot Secreto.