Ambiente Friendly supplemented for Irish Derby

Nick Robson
June 25, 2024 1:38 pm

Epsom second heads the market for Curragh Classic.

Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles, second and third in the Derby at Epsom, are due to meet again in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Sunday.

James Fanshawe’s Ambiente Friendly beat Los Angeles by three and a quarter lengths at Epsom, with both no match for City Of Troy, and owners the Gredley family have opted to supplement for the Irish Classic.

Fanshawe’s last Group One winner came courtesy of Audarya at the Breeders’ Cup in 2020.

Los Angeles is one of six left in by Aidan O’Brien, who is in the unusual position of not having the ante-post favourite.

Agenda, Chief Little Rock, Euphoric, Grosvenor Square and The Euphrates could all run for Ballydoyle.

👀 Horse to follow

It’s never an easy task to shoulder a penalty in a Novice Stakes but MATSURI made that look easy as he sauntered home under James Doyle to score by eight-lengths @LeicesterRaces. He is now 8/1 for the Irish Derby 🇮🇪@varianstable pic.twitter.com/iBvNWYPieY
— JSC Communications (@JSCComms) May 28, 2024

Roger Varian’s Matsuri is due to step up in class having won a Leicester novice last time out, while David Menuisier may send Sunway.

The Ger Lyons-trained Keeper’s Heart is the only other possible.

Ladbrokes has Ambiente Friendly as the 11-10 favourite ahead of 6-4 shot Los Angeles.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “The Irish Derby is shaping up to be a showdown between the British and the Irish, as Ambiente Friendly goes head-to-head with Los Angeles. There is very little separating them right now, but we give James Fanshawe’s Derby runner-up the edge to remain in front again.”

On the same card is the Group Two Gain Railway Stakes, in which O’Brien’s debut winner Henri Mattise, a Wootton Bassett colt out of Immortal Verse, is one of 10 entries.

British interest comes in the form of Richard Hannon’s Principality and Kevin Ryan’s The Strikin Viking.