'It looks wide-open to me - he's got every chance' - Irish champion Colin Keane excited for Derby debut on White Birch

Colin Keane does not think there is a standout colt in this year's Betfred Derby and feels White Birch has a good chance of making his first ride in the famous Epsom Classic a winning one. 

Ireland's four-time champion jockey was on board The Algarve in last year's Oaks but has yet to ride in the Derby, so he was excited to get the ride on the Dante runner-up, who is generally a 14-1 shot to go one better at Epsom.

The John Murphy-trained White Birch has been ridden by Shane Foley on both starts this season, including when flying home to get within a neck of The Foxes at York, but Jessica Harrington's stable jockey has been claimed for Sprewell.

Keane said: "It's brilliant to get the call-up and I'm absolutely delighted. You would have to feel for Shane, though. You wait your whole life for a Derby horse and then he has two come along at once. Unbelievable. 

"I've never ridden in the Derby before, so I'm looking forward to it. I rode for Aidan [O'Brien] in the Oaks last year, but that was it. You grow up watching the Derby on the TV every year as a child and it's the race every young jockey dreams of winning. To have a ride in it now is just brilliant. I'm very lucky to get the call-up from John and George [trainer's son]. We've had a bit of luck together over the years and hopefully that can continue."

Colin Keane: "It's brilliant to get the call-up and I'm absolutely delighted"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Keane added: "It looks a wide-open Derby. There doesn't look to be a standout contender to me. Maybe that will change on Saturday but certainly before the race there's nothing that sticks out. 

"It was a massive run from White Birch in the Dante. I loved the way he finished his race and how he hit the line, so you would imagine the extra two furlongs in the Derby will be no problem to him at all. He goes there with every chance and I'm really looking forward to it."

It is a big international weekend for Keane as 24 hours after riding White Birch in the Derby, he will be at Chantilly on Sunday to steer the Ger Lyons-trained Zarinsk in the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham.

It has been an unusually slow start to the season for Lyons and Keane, but Zarinsk was one of the rare highlights when she made all to win the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes at Leopardstown a few weeks ago. 

That form has worked out well with the runner-up Tarawa beaten only three lengths into fourth by stablemate Tahiyra in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on Sunday. 

Betfred Derby (1.30 Epsom, Saturday)

Coral: 3 Auguste Rodin, 9-2 Military Order, 11-2 Arrest, 6 Passenger, 11 Sprewell, 12 The Foxes, 16 Dubai Mile, White Birch, 20 Waipiro, 33 bar

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