The 2013 winners of the Investec Derby and Investec Oaks could meet in the £360,000 Group One Investec Coronation Cup (In commemoration of St Nicholas Abbey) on Investec Derby Day, for which 14 contenders remain after yesterday's scratchings deadline.
Last year's Investec Derby hero Ruler Of The World (Aidan O'Brien) has a tough statistic to overcome in that the most recent Derby winner to go on and win the Coronation Cup was the Vincent O'Brien-trained Roberto in 1973.
The 2013 Investec Oaks hero Talent (Ralph Beckett) will be bidding to follow in the footsteps of Time Charter, who took the Oaks in 1982 before landing the Coronation Cup two years later.
O'Brien, who has won the Investec Coronation Cup a record seven times and trained Sir Nicholas Abbey to win the last three runnings, has also left in Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician, while Beckett could also run Secret Gesture, who was runner-up to her stable companion in the 2013 Investec Oaks.
A cracking contest looks guaranteed with another possible starter being the globetrotting Cirrus Des Aigles (Corrine Barande-Barbe). The French eight-year-old is a four-time Group One winner and as good as ever this year, having smashed the unbeaten record of last year's Arc heroine Treve when landing the Group One Prix Ganay at Longchamp on April 27.
Ace French handler Andre Fabre has won the Investec Coronation Cup six times and this year could run Flintshire, successful in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris last year.
German handler Peter Schiergen, successful in 2002 with Boreal, is reportedly targeting the Investec Coronation Cup with Empoli who was last seen out when a staying-on fourth in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on March 29.
There is a £25,000 supplementary entry stage for the 12-furlong Investec Coronation Cup (In commemoration of St Nicholas Abbey) at the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, June 2.
Investec Specialist Bank 'Dash'
Also taking place on Investec Derby Day, Saturday, June 7 is the £100,000 Investec Specialist Bank 'Dash' Handicap, run over the fastest five furlongs in the world, for which 49 horses remain engaged.
