Master of Hounds firms up Derby plans

Last updated: 4/18/11 4:45 PM

Master of Hounds is eligible to improve in his second start of the season for Aidan O’Brien
(Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club)

The 137th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) looks increasingly likely to
have international flavor, as the status of the Aidan O’Brien-trained MASTER OF
HOUNDS (Kingmambo) was firmed up Monday.

A spokesman for the well-bred colt’s Coolmore ownership told the
Blood-Horse and Daily Racing Form that plans currently call for
Master of Hounds to ship in from Ireland for the May 7 Run for the Roses.
Pending his final workouts at Ballydoyle, O’Brien is expected to give the green
light.

Last week, a declaration of intent could have been read in the fact that the
four-year-olds Jan Vermeer (Montjeu [Ire]) and Cape Blanco (Galileo [Ire]) were
both made late nominees to the May 7 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1), perhaps
signaling that a traveling companion might be on hand with Master of Hounds. The
Blood-Horse report Monday indicated that Jan Vermeer was the likelier of
those two, but was still only possible for the 1 1/8-mile turf affair.

Master of Hounds is no stranger to international travel, including to
Churchill Downs. Sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) after a
problematic trip, the bay opened his three-year-old campaign with an excellent
second in the March 26 U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) at Meydan, where he was just nailed
on the line by the race-fir filly Khawlah (Cape Cross [Ire]).

Before venturing aboard, Master of Hounds had performed well in Europe. In
his second start, he lost a photo to subsequent multiple Group 3 winner Dunboyne
Express (Shamardal) at Leopardstown. Next time, Master of Hounds failed to catch
his loose-on-the-lead stablemate Roderic O’Connor (Galileo [Ire]) at the Curragh.
Roderic O’Connor went on to finish second to the all-conquering Frankel (Galileo
[Ire]) in the Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1), and followed up with a score in the
Criterium International (Fr-G1).

Master of Hounds then broke his maiden impressively at Tipperary, and
returned from a three-month holiday with an encouraging third in the Racing Post
Trophy (Eng-G1). On that occasion, he made a solid move to reach contention,
only to have his lack of fitness tell in the end, but still defeated the
hitherto unbeaten Native Khan (Azamour [Ire]) and Dunboyne Express. Both of
those colts have advertised their classic credentials this season, with Dunboyne
Express rolling in the March 27 Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial (Ire-G3)
and Native Khan capturing last Thursday’s Craven S. (Eng-G3).