Racing: Bandari joins Dubai's Derby team

On the Classic front, one is in, one is out. Bandari's chance of running in the Derby has been maximised with the news that he has a new owner, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. But jinxed filly Queen's Logic, who missed the 1,000 Guineas after bruising a foot, has been ruled out of Sunday's Irish version after coughing yesterday morning.

Bandari burst on to the Epsom scene with his spectacular 13-length win in the Lingfield Derby Trial 12 days ago and although he was not among the 542 horses entered for the Blue Riband as yearlings, nor the nine added at last month's second admission stage, bookmakers have now removed their "with a run" clause from his name in anticipation of Sheikh Hamdan paying the £90,000 supplementary entry on 1 June. The colt is third favourite in all lists, the best price available being the 7-1 with William Hill.

His Middleham-based trainer, Mark Johnston, will retain charge of Bandari, whose talent exceeds his robustness. "The supplement will to be left until the last minute and will depend on the horse's wellbeing, but the plan is to go to Epsom," Johnston said yesterday. "He looks the best chance I've had in the Derby. There should be no doubt about him staying the trip or handling the track."

The Maktoum family have never shied away from buying ready-made horses – another of Johnston's as yet unentered Derby prospects, Fight Your Corner, was sold into the Dubai fold last week – and it was always on the cards that Bandari's erstwhile owner, Abdulla Al Rostamani, an Emirates-based businessman, would get the call from his minister of finance and industry. Hamdan has already won Derbys with homebreds Nashwan and Erhaab and his latest recruit is a son of Alhaarth, winner of the Dewhurst Stakes in his blue and white colours and now a young stallion of emerging note.

A total of 24 potential rivals remain in the Derby field after yesterday's forfeit stage for the £1.2m contest. Aidan O'Brien still has eight engaged, headed by the market leaders Hawk Wing and High Chaparral. Most trainers would slaughter their grandmas for just one of the supporting cast: Rock Of Gibraltar, winner of the 2,000 Guineas and due to run in Saturday's Irish version; Galileo's brother Black Sam Bellamy; Diaghilev, at 3.4m guineas the most expensive yearling ever sold in Europe; French Group Two winner Ballingarry; Kentucky Derby 12th Castle Gandolfo; and a Curragh maiden winner Louisville.

Team Godolphin, Ballydoyle's rivals at the sharp end, has whittled options down to five: the Guineas flop Naheef, Dante Stakes winner Moon Ballad, unbeaten Al Moulatham, Tuesday's Predominate Stakes runner up Dubai Destination and unraced Wadmaan.

Queen's Logic, last year's champion juvenile filly, topped the market for the Irish 1,000 Guineas. "She worked absolutely great on Tuesday," her trainer, Mick Channon, said, "but her trachea wash came up dirty and she's now coughing, the only one in the yard."

Gossamer, eighth in the 1,000 Guineas, is now favourite to make amends for her disappointing Newmarket performance and will be suited by the prevailing soft ground at the Curragh.

Snowfire, runner-up in the 1,000, will skip the Irish version to go straight to the Oaks. And at Goodwood, Mellow Park produced a display that entitles her to serious consideration for the premier distaff Classic as she ran away with the Lupe Stakes. The scopey daughter of In The Wings streaked clear from the two-furlong mark to beat Kootenay 11 lengths and earn a place as short as 12-1 for Epsom.

Her trainer, Jeremy Noseda, whose first Oaks runner, Kalypso Katie, finished second two years ago, has a decent Epsom hand, with the Musidora Stakes runner-up Spinette also in his Newmarket yard.

"I expected Mellow Park to put up a bold show," he said, "but hardly to win like that. I felt if I had quality individuals this year it was these two fillies and I'd put them in the same bracket as Kalypso Katie."