Stick to tradition or change direction? Leading trainers Dermot Weld and Ger Lyons divided over Irish Derby distance dilemma

Leading racing figures are divided over what needs to be done to raise the status of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby amid calls the race should be reduced in distance like its French equivalent.

BBA Ireland's Patrick Cooper said that move was needed to to propel it back up the Longines world rankings of international races, where it was 163rd last year.

Cooper said a non-Irish-trained winner from Epsom had not lined up in the Irish Derby since 2004 and the winner of the French Derby had not contested the race since 2003, while he was also of the opinion that the "Irish Derby winner has minimal stallion value compared to a sprinter, miler or ten-furlong horse of similar ability".

But Coolmore founder John Magnier, joint-owner of Curragh winner Los Angeles, said: "The French have changed their race, it's not really the Derby anymore. It's good to have the Epsom form held up here, really important I'd say."

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When asked should the distance of the race remain the same, he said: "That's the tradition and that's the history. One of the things is you need to go from the top to the bottom [in distance]. You don't need all five-furlong races."

Los Angeles, third at Epsom, was franking that form by winning the Irish Derby, this time finishing ahead of runner-up Ambiente Friendly to give Aidan O'Brien his 16th success in the race.

Dermot Weld, who saddled Harzand to Derby glory at Epsom in 2016 and has had three winners of the Irish Derby, is keen to see the race remain at a mile and a half. He said: "I'm a traditionalist and I'd be in favour of leaving the distance of the Irish Derby the same as the Epsom race.

Los Angeles and Ryan Moore pull ahead of Sunway (right) and Ambiente Friendly in Sunday's Irish DerbyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"Some great horses have won those races and some great horses will win them in the future and they have been the cornerstone of our breeding. Look at the way the Japanese have developed their breeding industry by buying these sort of horses.

"I think its place in the calendar is all right, I wouldn't change it. We need to look at how we can encourage more horses to come over, that's the big challenge."

But Ger Lyons, a winner of two Irish Classics who saddled Keeper's Heart to finish fifth on Sunday, feels something needs to be done to retain the prestige of the race.

The trainer said: "Patrick Cooper is 100 per cent right. Whoever is driving the train needs to change things as it's dropped from the top ten to 163 in the rankings so something needs to be done.

"Somebody has to discuss something because it's the Derby. If I'm driving a company from the top ten to 163 then I get sacked. What Patrick said was sensible. It makes more sense to be than not. I think it's all about trip. We have to do something, you can't let it slide."

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