Two Derbies for the price of one?

[Delmar Deb]

http://www.bettingzone.co.uk/racing/betting/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=betting/05/03/21/manual_140501.html

Shamardal has been the subject on Monday of an informed ante-post gamble for the Kentucky Derby.

It has prompted Coral to cut him to 8/1 co-favourite of four from 12/1 for the race.

\"The source of these bets on Shamardal would suggest that not only is he expected to win Saturday\'s UAE Derby but that he is also well fancied to realise Godolphin\'s long held ambition of winning the Kentucky Derby,\" said Coral spokesman Simon Clare.


The unbeaten three-year-old was last seen on the racetrack winning the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October.

[JEB]

I really like Shamardal\'s breeding but until a horse comes form the UAE derby and is competitive in the Kentucky Derby, it is going to be hard for me to give him credit.

Greater Good? Will this horse get 10F? With phone trick as his grandsire and only a couple Inditab\'s even running, i just do not know about him

I think one of the biggest problems Godolphin has had is that their trainers are used to prepping \"turf\" horses to run off layoffs or very fresh and not dirt horses trying to run 10F in the US.

Turf races tend to be slow-paced and require a brilliant burst of speed late to get the job done. That goes double for European turf races. US dirt races tend to be very competitive from start to finish and are thus much more demanding. That goes double for 10 furlongs on the first Saturday May.

IMO, they are going to have a tough time winning until they send a horse than has been properly prepared for a grueling and demanding 10F dirt race.

Sharmadal looks like he could be a total terror, but so far all he has done is sprint on turf. Even if he wins this 9F race by a country mile, I\'d be a little suspicious of his coditioning without some more preparation.