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Favourite Ambiente Friendly “in really good form” for Irish Derby

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6 months ago

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Favourite Ambiente Friendly “in really good form” for Irish Derby

James Fanshawe’s colt finished second to City Of Troy at Epsom and bids to go one place better in Ireland. The son of Gleneagles is owned by Bill Gredley and will be ridden by Rab Havlin

Before he went to Epsom, Ambiente Friendly was an impressive winner of the William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial (PA)

  • By

    Melissa Jones

James Fanshawe believes Ambiente Friendly is peaking at the right time for Sunday’s Duty Free Irish Derby.

The promising Bill Gredley-owned stayer was added to the Curragh field at a cost of €100,000 earlier today. His participation comes four weeks after he kept galloping for second place in Epsom’s equivalent Classic.

The son of Gleneagles is 5-4 with William Hill to go one better with Rab Havlin steering. “It’s extremely exciting to have a runner in the Irish Derby,” Fanshawe said. “I’m standing here watching him enjoy a pick of grass in his paddock. He lost nine kilos from his Epsom run and put it back on fairly quickly. In the last ten days he has been in really good form.

“He has got more relaxed and enjoyed a piece of work on the Newmarket gallops last Wednesday.” Ambiente Friendly is expected to renew rivalry with fellow Epsom minor medallist Los Angeles, one of six entries trained by Aidan O’Brien.

The Ballydoyle handler’s strength in numbers led to a 400th top-level strike with Auguste Rodin at Royal Ascot. Fanshawe is campaigning Ambiente Friendly for his 24th from Pegasus Stables and he added: “Mr Gredley set the Classic target early on and the horse has thrived on that programme. “Aidan’s horses are flying so it should be a really good race. Hopefully we can go and deliver again.”

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