Johnny Murtagh faces Derby dilemma

AIDAN O'Brien admits stable jockey Johnny Murtagh faces a tough choice ahead of Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

The Ballydoyle handler's main hopes would appear to be Jan Vermeer, beaten into fourth when favourite in the Epsom Derby, and Cape Blanco, who was a big disappointment in the French equivalent at Chantilly.

While Jan Vermeer was installed as the initial favourite for Sunday's Group One prize, most bookmakers now have Cape Blanco as their market-leader. "Johnny hasn't made up his mind which horse he's going to ride yet and I suppose that's why the markets are the way they are," O'Brien said.

"We give Johnny as much time as he wants to make up his mind as he wants to be on the one that has the best chance.

"There are a lot of factors he's got to work out in his mind and obviously we both talk about it.

"He has to try and work out whether Jan Vermeer has improved enough since Epsom and why Cape Blanco was disappointing in France and whether he can leave that run way behind him. In Epsom you could say the pacemaker got away and Jan Vermeer was a little bit on and off the bridle.

"It might have been greenness and it might have been the race fitness. Cape Blanco ran a listless race really in France, so there are a lot of things to factor into his decision.

"It's very possible we will run all five horses but not definite as obviously they have to go through all their tests. It's important we support the race as we know how special the race is.|

Meanwhile, Godolphin's Sabotage heads a maximum field of 20 runners in tomorrow's John Smith's Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. The four-year-old drops in class after finishing last of nine in Group company at Sandown last time, but is forced to concede weight all round in the two-mile heat. The well-supported Deauville Flyer, bidding to follow up an impressive recent York victory, has crept in right at the bottom of the field as horse number 20.

Deauville Flyer rider Robert Winston made it a timely double at Newcastle yesterday with a runaway success on the Tracy Waggott-trained Whispered Times (3-1) in the concluding Gosforth Decorating And Building Services Handicap.

Pachattack made all the running in the EBF Hoppings Stakes. Tom Eaves dictated affairs on the Gerard Butler-trained filly, who kept on strongly to win by two lengths from last year's winner, Lady Jane Digby.

Hotham – likely to be a similarly generous price after something of a hit-and-miss campaign so far this year – can follow in the hoofprints of stablemate Pavershooz by winning the totesport.com Gosforth Park Cup at Newcastle tonight, while Peaceful Rule is napped to take the opener at the Tyneside track.