Size plots Derby upset with River Dancer
It's just 18 days to the Derby and the curtain-raisers are over, but the narrow time frame should be more than sufficient for mercurial John Size to weave his magic and contrive an upset on high-priced European private purchase River Dancer.
Size yesterday predicted further improvement from River Dancer when the son of Sadler's Wells - the world's leading classic sire - lines up in the $14 million Derby on March 23.
'I was pleased with his run the other day [when a close third to Northern Gold Ball in the ATV Cup],' Size said. 'In fact, each of his runs for me has been an improvement on the previous run. You'd naturally expect, the way he's bred and the way he races, that he's going to be even better when he gets to the Derby distance [2,000 metres].'
When 49-year-old Size was entrusted with the former French Group Three winner by his owner, Jockey Club chairman Ronald Arculli, the trainer was concerned his lack of experience with European horses may count against him.
'To be honest, it's not a situation I'm too familiar with and I wasn't at all confident,' Size said modestly.
'But as we went along, I started to get a feel for the horse and began to build a relationship with him. Now we're getting on fine and the horse is starting to come into his own.'
River Dancer raced in Europe under the name Diaghilev - after Sergei Diaghilev, who is credited with almost single-handedly reforming European ballet and for spreading the influence of Russian ballet around the globe.
Diaghilev was selected by Dr Demi O'Byrne as a yearling on behalf of Coolmore principal John Magnier and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. At 3.4 million guineas, he was one of the most expensive yearlings in the world in 2000.
As a three-year-old, he won a three-year-old maiden at Leopardstown over 2,000 metres and then claimed the Group Three Prix la Force over the same distance on soft ground at Chantilly, France.
That win convinced trainer Aidan O'Brien to give Diaghilev his chance in the Prix du Jockey Club, or French Derby. The three-year-old was right in the market at 7-1 but failed to finish his race off after being badly squeezed for room on the home turn.
The gelding had just one more run, missing the start by five lengths in the Group Two Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot when a well-backed 4-1 second favourite, and was then sold to Hong Kong.
Size will have two Derby runners and neither will start again before the big event. The jockeys are finalised, too. 'Robbie Fradd will ride River Dancer and Shane Dye will be on Gift,' Size said.
Interestingly, each of the stablemates will be best suited in conditions that will almost surely deny the other. 'I'm sure River Dancer would prefer some softening of the track, like most of the Sadler's Wells breed,' Size continued.
'But that's the last thing Gift wants. He is a genuine firm-track horse. Just the slightest bit of rain and he's in trouble.'
Incidentally, Hong Kong racegoers will be familiar with River Dancer's older brother, Darazari. The well-bred stallion came to Hong Kong in December 1998 to finish second to Ivan Allan's Indigenous in the Hong Kong Vase, as well as being a Group One winner of the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill in Sydney.
