The Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Irish Derby, usually run at the Curragh in Co. Kildare on the last Saturday of June, provides more or less the last opportunity for the top three-year-olds in Europe to contest a mile-and-a-half classic (the 2400 m. IDEA Deutsches Derby at Hamburg in Germany comes a week or two later – this year's renewal is scheduled for July 3rd – but that race normally draws participants with a significantly lower average rating).

Some rain in Ireland early in the week changed the track conditions to the soft side on the scale, but subsequent sunshine and a drying breeze have made the possibility of 'good going' far more likely than seemed the case initially.

Just nine three-year-old colts have accepted, of which two represent yards located across the Irish Sea and four represent the most prominent Irish stable, namely Ballydoyle, in Cashel, Co. Tipperary. After a sparkling workout, the connections of H.M. The Queen's Carlton House (by Street Cry) have decided to let the lengthy colt take his chance and punters have responded by making him the favourite at a best-priced 11 to 8. He will be only the third runner in the royal silks on the flat in Ireland since 1988.

It may be recalled that Ryan Moore was unhappy with his trip in the Investec Epsom Derby three weeks ago, when the colt was a close-up third behind Pour Moi; Carlton House now gets an ideal opportunity to make amends. However, it must be noted that no British-trained runner has won this event since 1993, when Sir Henry Cecil sent over Commander-In-Chief (the 1994 winner, Balanchine, though based in England, was officially trained in the U.A.E.). Sir Michael Stoute's ward will therefore have to be at his very best to repel the multi-faceted Irish challenge.

Carlton House faces four of his opponents at Epsom – Treasure Beach (by Galileo), who finished ahead of him on that occasion, as also Memphis Tennessee (by Hurricane Run), who was fourth, Native Khan (by Azamour), who was fifth, and Seville (by Galileo), who ran well below par when tenth. The last-named had earlier been only 1½ lengths adrift of Carlton House in the totesport Dante Stakes at York last month and so remains very much in the mix.

Aidan O'Brien has won this race five times in a row and will be aiming for his sixth consecutive winner, and ninth overall, on Sunday. Excluding Native Khan, he schools the other three exiting the Investec Espom Derby mentioned above. Unhappy with the physical progress of Recital (sixth at Epsom), the stable has withdrawn him from consideration and substituted in his stead the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas winner Roderic O'Connor (by Galileo), who completes the quartet.

At the time of writing, the O'Brien team's riding arrangements could not be ascertained. Judging by the odds currently on offer, Treasure Beach (3 to 1), Seville (6 to 1), Roderic O'Connor (10 to 1) and Memphis Tennessee (12 to 1) are fancied in that order. The likely riders are Colm O'Donoghue, Christophe Soumillon, Seamie Heffernan and Joseph O'Brien, although this list is admittedly the product of pure guesswork!

Newmarket-based Ed Dunlop believes his ward, the 9 to 1 shot Native Khan, can improve on his Epsom performance given that rider Johnny Murtagh has become more familiar with him. The trainer commented: “He’s come out of the English Derby well. We're pretty confident he stays, but we're under no illusions. It's going to be very tough and maybe it's going to be more of a stamina test, but it's his last chance of running in a Classic against his own generation. In time we may well drop him in trip."

Oh Canada!
That is the name of the Canadian national anthem, and also of Frank Di Giulio Jr.'s 10 to 1 chance in the C$1,000,000 Queen's Plate for three-year-old Canadian-breds, to be run at Toronto's Woodbine racetrack this Sunday. A victory for Oh Canada (by Proud Citizen), who is by no means a forlorn shot, would bring racing under the media scanner if only because of his name! Trainer Robert Tiller has fitted him out with blinkers and the gelding, who is to be partnered by Emma-Jayne Wilson, will have to get by 16 rivals to prevail.

Chief among them is Check Your Soul (by Perfect Soul), from the barn of a man who knows how to secure this prize, having done so a record-equalling eight times previously, namely Roger Attfield. The 3-to-1 chance, a homebred for diamond mine owner Charles Fipke, has scored thrice from his four starts this term and will stay the trip. Local ace Patrick Husbands, a native of Bridgetown, Barbados, will be in the saddle.

Next in demand at 7-to-2 is the appropriately-named Queen'splatekitten (by Kitten's Joy), who is trained South of the border by champion Todd Pletcher. Originally racing for his breeders, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, he was the subject of a deal over the winter that saw him sporting the silks of Mill House, the nom-de-course of Nicholas Brady, former Secretary of State in the U.S. Government, when he reappeared at 3. The colt is coming off a victory at Woodbine in the Marine Stakes – where Oh Canada was third – and is to be guided by Johnny Velazquez.

A filly is third-best fancied by the odds makers and this is Donver Stable’s Inglorious (by Hennessy), fresh from a facile victory in the C$500,000 Woodbine Oaks three weeks ago. While Oaks winners have run well in the "Plate" – the three most recent winners have all placed in it – one has to go back 10 years to find one to have actually completed this double, namely Dancethruthedawn in 2001. Mexico City born Luis Contreras has the mount for trainer Josie Carroll.

Six-to-one is the estimate in respect of Bowman's Causeway (by Giant's Causeway), runner-up to Check Your Soul in the Plate Trial. His rider, Eurico Rosa da Silva, formerly associated with Queen'splatekitten, has won on both his rides in the Plate – firstly with Eye Of The Leopard in 2009 and then with Big Red Mike last year. Formerly with Patrick Biancone, Bowman's Causeway is now schooled by Chad Brown for owner Martin Schwarz. Unfortunately for them, he is drawn 16, not a good spot to start from.

Finally, it is worth remembering that several of the remaining dozen are lightly-raced and capable of springing a surprise.