if the epsom derby is the world's greatest horse race, it deserves greater respect, coolmore.

​Am I alone in thinking Coolmore/Aidan O’Brien have shown a lack of respect towards the Epsom Derby with their/his decision to run only Bolshoi Ballet out of their six 5-day entries for this Saturday’s race?
I am not one of those people who believe the Epsom Derby is the greatest horse race in the world. It barely cracks my top half-a-dozen, if I am honest. But that shouldn’t suggest I do not understand the prestige of the race or its importance to the world of thoroughbred breeding and its place in the history of the sport is undeniable. Once upon a time the British Parliament recessed on the day of the race to allow the Prime Minister, ministers and M.P.’s to travel to the meeting in good time for the start of the race. It was a race attended by all sections of society. If no transport was available, people would walk out of London to Epsom. Once upon a time, and it is by now a time far removed from the upcoming latest renewal of the race, the Epsom Derby had gravitas; it was the race every jockey, trainer, owner wanted to win and the best horses in Britain, Ireland and France were trained with Epsom specifically in mind.
I find Aidan O’Brien’s explanation for not running five of his horses disingenuous and cannot really except that it is the owner’s discretion what to run and what not to run. Their reasoning that keeping High Definition for the Irish Derby would allow him more time may be reasonable and in the best interest’s of the horse but they could have made that decision after the Dante or before last Monday when they choose to keep him in the Derby. Between York and today, Thursday, people may well have backed the horse ante-post, especially after Aidan’s positivity about the horse at the start of the week. And to say they were lucky to get a run into the horse at York and then they had a decision to make regards Epsom is rubbish as since the Dante they have spoken about High Definition and the Epsom Derby as if it were a done deal.
I wrote at the beginning of the week that one of the reasons the Epsom Derby is losing its appeal to the public, and I believe that is with the racing as well as the non-sporting public, is that it is never clear until days before the race what horses will run. The decision to run only Bolshoi Ballet could have been made on Monday, that would have been fairer to the public and of greater respect to the race itself. It is my belief that Coolmore have not presented themselves in a very sporting light in removing one of the favourites for the race, the horse that was favourite all through the winter, a day before declaration time for no other reason than self-interest. The Epsom Derby deserves better.
If Coolmore have annoyed me, the connections of John Leeper have enraged me. Now, I like Frankie Dettori as a jockey and have a hard time determining whether he or Ryan Moore is the greatest flat jockey of my lifetime. I also accept that an Epsom Derby without Frankie Dettori is a lesser spectacle. But for Ed Dunlop to present the jocking-off of Adam Kirby in favour of Frankie as if it a law of nature and something irresistible is utterly contemptible. 
When John Leeper’s owner, Christina Patino, made it known she wanted Ed Dunlop to engage Kirby for the Epsom Derby she was engaging in an oral contract. If Kirby had got off her horse to ride a better fancied runner she would have been justifiably angered by his disloyalty. Yet here she is putting self-interest before loyalty to an oral contract. To use the excuse that Kirby was only booked because Dettori was not available is lame. Dettori has no real history with the Dunlop yard, has not ridden John Leeper in a race and quite likely never on the gallops and has no sort of friendship or retainer with the owner. Did neither owner nor trainer read the article in the Racing Post this week with Kirby? Did they not know of his pride and excitement at finally achieving a fancied ride in the Epsom Derby? Kirby has been slighted and from hoping John Leeper would win, I now hope he does not. People should deserve to win the Derby, Ms Patino and Ed Dunlop, in my eyes, do not deserve such luck.
Come Saturday, I will only have eyes for Hurricane Lane and Gear Up.