Sprewell enters Classic equation

Sprewell put in a strong staying performance to win the Group 3 Derby Trial Stakes in Leopardstown for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley.

The Churchill colt raced in mid-division as Mohawk Chief took the field along. Shane Foley asked him to take closer order on the home bend and the 8/1 shot came with a strong challenge to hit the front, from a bunch of rivals, approaching the final furlong.

He bounded away in the final 100 yards and clearly relished this 10-furlong trip having been campaigned over a mile in three races to date (won in Naas on his last start in March). Up And Under was beaten three lengths into second at 11/4.

Assistant trainer Kate Harrington said: “We’re very, very happy. We kind of let him down after he won in Naas and he got a bit fat on us, so we had to be quite hard on him the last ten days and he’s come good today.

“He’s got fancy entries everywhere. I know it would be the owner’s dream to go to the English Derby but we’ll see how he comes out of this. France could be an option as he is very good on soft going.

“Mum and Khalid will have a chat and see where we go from here. I think he’s a proper horse and as good as we’ve ever had at that distance.

“I’d say the further he goes the better he’s going to get. He’s a really exciting horse and personally I think he’s only 80 per cent there and there is a good bit more improvement.”

Donnacha O’Brien said of third-home Proud And Regal (6/4f): “I thought he ran well and the first run of the year he might have got a bit tired. The last furlong he got a bit of a bump and he might have just had a blow.

“I thought it was a satisfactory run and we’ll make a plan from here. He was just a little bit rusty for his first run of the year.”

Paddy Power cut Sprewell from 50/1 to 20/1 for the Derby and then to 16/1 after further support.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee