Piggott on Shotgun may test Derby favourite

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 29

Piggott on Shotgun may test Derby favourite

By AAP correspondent, Tony Kennedy

London Shotgun, in from 14«1 to 8-1 and the biggest pre-post English Derby shortener for many years, appears the major danger to hot favourite, Shergar, for the famous classic at Epsom today (2.35 a.m. tomorrow, New Zealand time).

Glint of Gold, one of the most consistent and best performed colts ir. the field, is another with strong eachway appeal. It will be the 202nd running of the face. Yesterday, Shergar was quoted at 10-11, but whether or not he starts in the red he will be the shortest priced favorite since Sir Ivcr won at 4-5 in 1968.

Shergar, trained in England by Michael Stoute, gives the Aga Khan another opportunity to achieve his greatest ambition on the turf •— to win an English Derby. He thought his turn had arrived in 1977 when he had the 2-1 favorite Blushing Groom, but the colt finished third to The Minstrel and Hot Grove.

In a year when the calibre of the three-year-old colts has been in doubt, bookmaking firms were searching for a favourite. Shergar obliged.

He won over .10 furlongs at Sandown on April 25, spacing his nearest rival by 10 lengths. Then he won at Chester by 12 lengths. It was the margin of victory which grabbed the imagination of the public, and bookmakers made him the glamour colt.

Whether Shergar can live up to that assessment will be decided today. But he is at a “buying money” price, and bookmakers are framing alternative markets, such as 1-2 betting. The betting suggests it’s a

one-horse race, but there are other good chances. The Derby course is the toughest mile and a half in the world and very few hot favourites have vindicated their rating. Lester Piggot striving for his ninth Derby win left no stone unturned to get on the best available mount, and when he failed to have 19-year-old Walter Swinburn “unseated” from Shergar, he succeeded in getting Jimmy Bleasdale off Shotgun. Shotgun won a 10 furlongs race at Newmarket, and his second to Beldale Flutter in the 10 furlongs, 110 yards Dante Stakes at York impressed as a Derby trial.

The grey was sixth coming to the turn and ran on solidly to the post. Piggott has done his homework as usual, because he could have ridden the French colt Al Nasar, or Glint of Gold’s stablemate, Robellino. But they didn’t take his fancy. So he set his sights on Shotgun, and must have a tremendous chance of tipping out the favourite. Glint of Gold commands much respect. The Mill Reef colt won two races last season, and this year has won twice, both races over a mile and a half. One of them was over the Derby course at Epsom on April 21, and his last-start win was the Italian Derby at Rome on May 10. He is certain to run a big race.

Besioes Al Nasar, Lydian and Recitation are the other French-owned and trained colts in the field.

But Recitation may not run, being reserved for the French Derby. The last French-trained colt to win the Derby was Emprey in 1976. .He was trained by Maurice Zilber for Nelson Bunker Hunt. The last French-owned and trained colt to win the English classic was Seabird in 1965, ridden by Australian Pat Glennon.

The Queen, who has yet to win a Derby, will be represented by Church Parade, but the colt’s form has not been impressive.

The field, with form and riders, for the Derby is: NZPA London ENGLISH DERBY £251.500; one mile and a half. 1 111 Al Nasr 9-0 A. Gibert 2 010 Centurius 9-0 E. Hide 3 130 Church Parade 9-0 W. Carson 4 033 Cocaine 9-0 5 111 Glint of Gold 9-0 J. Matthias 6 202 Golden Brigadier 9-0 P. Bradwell 7 110 Kalaglow 9-0 G. Starker 8 410 Kind of Hush 9-0 S. Cauthen 9 330 King's General 9-0 B. Taylor 10 104 Krug 9-0 B. Raymond 11 121 Lydian 9-0 F. Head 12 411 Recitation 9-0 13 101 Riberetto 9-0 P. Eddery 14 024 Robellino 9-0 P. Cook 15 020 Sass 9-0 J. Reid 16 003 Scintillating Air 9-0 G. Baxter 17 042 Sheer Grit 9-0 J. Mercer 18 211 Shergar 9-0 W. Swinburn 19 112 Shotgun 9-0 L. Piggott 20 411 Silver Season 9-0 E. Johnson 21 042 Sunley Builds 9-0 P. Waldron 22 0 Waverley Hall 9-0 B, Crossley * AAP correspondent Tony Kennedy’s selections: Shotgun, Shergar. Glint of Gold.