Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has supplemented the Aga Khan Studs-owned Midak for the Group 1 Betfred Derby (in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV), held on the 6 June.
Unbeaten in three starts, including the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud by two and a half lengths, the son of Footstepsinthesand will be the sole representative in the famous Aga Khan green-and-red silks. It is a race that was successful for the late Aga Khan. He recorded five winners in the Epsom feature – Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), Sinndar (2000) and Harzand (2016).
Speaking to Nick Luck, Graffard said: "He is a big horse, he has done really well physically in the last two months so I'm very happy with him. He never stopped improving through the spring. He kept winning and winning and winning, and the other day he won a Group Three (Prix Greffulhe) at Saint-Cloud which is a left-handed track, he won very nicely and I don't know really where his limits.
"He needed to be supplemented in one of the Derbies and Her Highness has two runners in the French Derby already so I came up with this idea, maybe a crazy idea - why don't we go for the Epsom Derby with him because I think he will handle the track and he can stay the trip. She was very happy to take the idea and the challenge."
When asked if the Epsom Derby being renamed in honour of the late Aga Khan had any influence on the decision to go to Epsom, Graffard added: "Princess Zahra will be there for the whole weekend and it will be a celebration for the late Aga Khan, so it's very nice to have found a horse to race in the Derby this year, but I didn't push her to have a runner for that
"Nobody put me under any pressure, the idea came from me so I think everything is coming along really nicely and naturally."
When asked if the step up in distance from 2100m to the Derby distance of 2400m would be a concern, Graffard said: "I think he should be able to stay. His jockey has won the Derby and he thinks he can handle the track, so we find out next Saturday but I'm very excited to run him."
"It's my dream race. From the beginning, I have read some books and my grandfather was always talking about the Derby and when I worked in England I walked the course and it's so special. You don't see another race like this around the world so I'm really happy to have a runner in it."
"If my horse handles the track and he has a good trip around, I hope he can be competitive, we'll find out but I think it is quite an open race."
