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Epsom Derby News: Goodwood test for Lysander to see if Classic is Midsummer Night's Dream

Epsom Derby

Highclere Thoroughbred Racing are in stellar form and now a Goodwood test awaits to see if William Haggas' Lysander has serious Epsom Derby credentials.

Things are going brilliantly for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing with the likes of Cachet already a Classic winner for the ownership syndicate company.
Their Lysander, trained by Williams Haggas has a Derby entry and will be put to the test for Epsom in Goodwood's Cocked Hat Stakes on Friday, May 20.

The New Approach colt has only run twice, finishing third in a Newbury novice stakes on debut where he put in a staying on performance.

The next run saw Lysander go to Newcastle, making all the running and surging on to a facile eight and a half lengths win which really caught the eye.
Costing a cool 120,000 guineas as a yearling, three-year-old Lysander had entries for both the Derby and the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, but Highclere Racing Manager Harry Herbert is quite clear that the Classic on the Epsom Downs on June 4 is the preference.
"It has always been the likely plan (Goodwood), we had him in the Lingfield Derby Trial, but that would have been quite a quick turnaround. William (Haggas) was always keen to give him a nice gap between Newcastle and Goodwood and then Goodwood will tell us a lot more," said Herbert.
"Look, we all know how far it is from winning a novice at Newcastle to lining up in a Derby, but he's a very talented horse from what William has seen at home and Tom Marquand thinks very highly of the horse.
"So let's see what happens at Goodwood and at the moment, if he was to win and win well, the plan would be to go for the Derby. I think he's a really exciting colt, but it's just one step at a time."

The listed British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat Stakes takes place at Goodwood on Friday, May 20 over a mile and three furlongs, just a furlong short of the Epsom Derby's one mile and four furlong distance.

The Epsom Derby is considered the premier English Classic and takes place on Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 4. It is run over a distance of one mile and four furlongs and will be screened live on ITV Racing.

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