Willie the Whipper could be set to challenge Libertarian

ANN Duffield’s Willie The Whipper could take on Epsom Derby second Libertarian in the Irish Derby if both North Yorkshire horses stay sound.

The tantalising prospect of Duffield’s star crossing the Irish Sea to take on Karl and Elaine Burke’s colt emerged after Willie The Whipper finished sixth in Sunday’s Prix du Jockey Club – the French Derby.

Drawn in stall 15, Jamie Spencer had no option but to drop his mount in at the rear of the field before making relentless progress inside the final two furlongs to finish sixth.

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“He’ll probably run next in the German Derby, but we’ve not quite decided yet,” said Duffield whose Constable Burton stables are a short distance from the Burkes’ base at Spigot Lodge near Leyburn.

“He had a bad draw and to come from where he did, stone last, and to make up the ground he did up the middle of the track against top quality company – I’m over the moon with him.

“We’re hopeful he can pick up a Group One somewhere and it is picking the best one to go for.

“That was the first time he has run on a decent surface and we always thought it would suit him, even though he handles plenty of cut.”

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Duffield – whose husband George was a Classic-winning jockey – has always held Willie The Whipper in the highest regard.

Her stable star had finished second in a Group One in France last season, but was well beaten by subsequent Irish Guineas winner Magician on his seasonal return at Chester.

The German Derby in Hamburg is the current priority, but a trip to The Curragh on June 29 has not been ruled out.

“At the moment it’s the German Derby in our thoughts, it certainly was on the plane home, but the Irish Derby has not been ruled out. Certainly if he was drawn better and finished second, you’d probably be thinking of the Irish Derby,” added Duffield.

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“He’s the first horse we’ve had for Sheikh Fahad and he was over the moon.”

The input of Spencer, a former stable jockey at Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard, will be crucial to determining Willie The Whipper’s target.

He described Saturday’s 
Investec Derby at Epsom as “stupid” as O’Brien’s five runners slowed the pace to dent the chances of Jim Bolger’s favourite Dawn Approach.

While the tactics of the Ballydoyle stable, which is bankrolled by the Coolmore stud, played into the hands of race winner Ruler Of The World, they also blunted the chances of Libertarian and also Spencer’s mount Chopin who was seventh.

Yorkshire Post columnist Amy Ryan will be hoping that Ardmay can follow up last month’s course win at Ripon in today’s Wilmot-Smith Memorial Handicap at the North Yorkshire track.

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