Stars faces Derby dozen

Sea The Stars will face 12 rivals in Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby should John Oxx decide to run the colt.The trainer of the brilliant Derby and 2000 Guineas winner has expressed concern about the ground becoming too soft at the Curragh and may not give the go-ahead until raceday.Sea The Stars is set to be challenged by seven runners from Aidan O'Brien's stable including the second, third and fifth from Epsom - Fame And Glory, Masterofthehorse and Golden Sword. They are joined by Byzantine, Drumbeat, Rockhampton and Hail Caesar.Oxx also saddles Mourayan, with Jim Bolger's Gan Amhras and Kevin Prendergast's Recharge others to come into consideration.The Bull Hayes and Loch Long complete the line-up, with O'Brien pulling out Malibu Bay, Freemantle and Set Sail. Bolger did not declare Ard Na Greine.Recharge was only beaten a length by Sea The Stars as a two-year-old, which is giving Prendergast some hope.The trainer does admit some reservations about his colt getting the Derby distance as he has only raced over a mile. His most recent outing was when fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas."Recharge is in good shape and is all set to take his chance on Sunday. I'm hoping the step up in trip will suit him but we'll have to see," said Prendergast."He didn't run at all really in the Guineas as the ground was bottomless and he ran far better than we thought. He's really a dry ground horse."Our horse wasn't beaten far by Sea The Stars in the Beresford Stakes last year and if everything goes right he'll run a big race."