Galileo to go for Derby double
Sunday, 10 June 2001 15:05Epsom wonder horse Galileo is to be aimed at next month's Budweiser Irish Derby, his trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed today. It was thought that the Vodafone Derby winner would be dropped in trip for the Coral Eurobet Eclipse Stakes at Sandown for his next race, but connections appear to have had a change of heart.
"There is a very strong possibility that Galileo will go for the Irish derby," O'Brien said this afternoon. "Everybody involved is swaying towards it. It's a very prestigious race." He is now likely to try and emulate Irish colt Sinndar's exploits last season when he completed the Epsom-Irish Derby double for John Oxx.
O'Brien has already won the Oaks and Derby and now hopes to repeat the trick in the Irish versions of the classics. The Ballydoyle trainer's Vodafone Oaks winner Imagine remains on course for the Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks following Friday's triumph at Epsom over The Queen's Flight Of Fancy.
He confirmed that both of his Epsom winners had come out of the races in great form. "Both Galileo and Imagine are fine," he said. "It was great, great for everybody. They have all worked so hard."
Filed by Greg McKevitt
