Potapova

In the modern era, only Aidan O'Brien has trained more Derby winners than Sir Michael Stoute. The latter became almost instantly synonymous with the great race, and indeed woven into Derby folklore, when he first won it back in 1981. Few will need reminding that that was with Shergar (Ire), the horse whose infamy threatens to overshadow his brilliance, especially as the years wear on and the number of people who were there to witness Shergar's superiority first hand decreases. Forty-one years later, and with the not insignificant names of...

There are two different and converging strands in the name of promising 2-year-old filly Potapova (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}-- Safina {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}): tennis memories and Russian themes. The convincing Chelmsford winner is out of Safina, also the family name of the brilliant Dinara Safina, former world number one tennis player, three-times losing finalist in Grand Slam events and sister of U.S. Open champion Marat Safin. Safina the mare is out of champion Russian Rhythm, and there are other glorious Russian names scattered in her female line, like Nijinsky...