Weld to make Casual Conquest Derby decision on Thursday

The trainer was forced to shelve plans to gallop the unbeaten colt at The Curragh yesterday because of the firm going.

Late decision: Weld will leave punters in the dark until Thursday before deciding if Casual Conquest (above with with Pat Smullen) will take part at Epsom

The son of Hernando, who retains an option of running in Sunday's French Derby, now heads to Leopardstown, the scene of his only two starts, for a workout after Wednesday evening's meeting.

Weld said: "We'll make a firm decision on Thursday morning and then everyone will be in the know.

"Everybody just needs a little bit of patience. I don't want people backing a horse that may not run.

"That's why I would have loved to have been able to work him this morning so we could have made a decision and said, A,B,C or D, that's the plan for this horse for better or worse. 

"I'm just being cautious. It's nothing to do with not liking the track. I'm very fond of Epsom. I trained my first Classic winner there when Blue Wind won the (1981) Oaks.
'It's just this is a big horse and I am trying to make the right decision."

Weld had planned to work Casual Conquest the reverse way at The Curragh, a move to mirror the Epsom experience and a ploy he used before Blue Wind's Classic victory.
Casual Conquest's visually impressive win in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is the reason bookmakers quote him as the 4-1 Derby favourite.

His 97-year-old Swiss billionaire owner Walter Haefner needs to pay a £75,000 supplementry fee on Monday to add him to the Classic field.

Stan Cosgrove, who manages Haefner's racing interests under the Moyglare Stud banner, said his reluctance to run had been eased after discussions with John Oxx, who trained Sinndar to win in the 2000 Derby.

Cosgrove said: "John has encouraged us to run. I had a long talk with him and he said how Epsom is so well maintained now."

Moyglare's Mad About You, promoted to second behind Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Halfway To Heaven on Sunday, will race beyond a mile in future with the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot an option along with the Irish Oaks.

Pascal Bary is searching for a new jockey for 1,000 Guineas winner Natagora in the French Derby as regular rider Christophe Lemaire will be claimed to partner Jean-Claude Rouget's High Rock.