Racing by Tom O'Ryan

Greek Dance unbeaten in both his races this season, and mightily impressive at York last month, can clinch the £500,000 Vodafone Derby at Epsom tomorrow.

Trained by Michael Stoute, previously successful with Shergar in 1981 and Shahrastani in 1986, Greek Dance will be ridden by Walter Swinburn who not only partnered Stoute's previous two winners, but also hit the target aboard Lammtarra three years ago.

Swinburn has missed the last two Derbys in 1996 through the serious injuries he suffered in an horrific fall in Hong Kong and last year because of his self-imposed sabbatical after he lost control of his ballooning weight.

For the 36-year-old Swinburn, who has battled his way back to full fitness, to win his fourth Derby tomorrow would be a dream come true for the popular jockey, who boasts an outstanding international big-race record.

Swinburn has partnered Greek dance in both his outings this season. An easy winner of a maiden race at Newmarket's Craven meeting, he followed up in the Michael Seely Memorial Glasgow Stakes on Knavesmire when romping home by six lengths from Capri.

It was that performance and especially the sheer dominance of it, that highlighted Greek Dance's Derby claims and this high class colt has reportedly worked superbly well on the Newmarket gallops since.

The impeccably-bred son of Sadler's Wells has the stamina to stay the mile and a half, and the speed to hold a comfortable place throughout the race and quicken at the end. Plus, he possesses the right sort of temperament to remain composed during the pre-race razzmatazz, which has cost so many horses their chance in previous years.

Should Greek Dance win, he will become the second Derby winner in two years to have used an important York trial as a final stepping stone to Epsom glory, following Benny the Dip 12 months ago.

Benny The Dip won the Dante Stakes prior to his Derby success, and this year's Dante field is strongly represented tomorrow by Saratoga Springs, City Honours and Border Arrow, who occupied the first three places on Knavesmire last month.

Saratoga Springs finished fourth in the French Derby as recently as last Sunday, and will do well to confirm his superiority over the other pair here. City Honours is the Goldolphin 'second string' behind Cape Verdi (the preferred mount of Frankie Dettori), but Border Arrow has plenty going for him, having been slightly unlucky in the Dante in getting squeezed for room in the crucial final furlong.

Border Arrow is expected to relish the step up to a mile and a half tomorrow and has excellent each-way prospects. Indeed, he might well turn the tables on King Of Kings, to whom he finished third in the 2,000 Guineas.

The winner, cracking horse that he is, has so much natural speed that he may not stay this distance and the same stamina doubts surround his Aidan O'Brien stablemate Second Empire (the preferred mount of Michael Kinane), who failed to settle in the Irish 2,000 Guineas before finishing a considerately-handled third.

The most intriguing factor of this fascinating race is the participation of Cape Verdi, a filly taking on the colts instead of running against her own gender in today's Oaks.

Cape Verdi scooted home in the 1,000 Guineas and it has cost her Arab connections a princely £75,000 supplementary entry fee for the privilege of running her in the Derby. She is bred to get the trip, but is a free-running, speedy filly and there is no guarantee she will stay. I feel she is worthy of respect - but vulnerable.

Gulland, who ran a great race to finish second to Xaar in the Craven Stakes over an inadequate mile, went on to win the Chester Vase though only by a whisker from The Glow-Worm after running a shade freely, and being left in front too soon by his inadequate pacemaker.

Gulland will, I am sure, confirm his superiority in no mean style over The Glow-Worm here and enters calculations in a major way.

Courteous and High-Rise both come into this race on the back of victories, but have much moreto do here and are likely to be found wanting when the chips are down, as is Sadian, who represents the Kieren Fallon-Henry Cecil partnership.

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