Aidan O'Brien could equal his record of EIGHT runners in the Cazoo Derby next Saturday – but expects Ryan Moore to stick with favourite Bolshoi Ballet.
O’Brien, who fielded an octet against the Frankie Dettori-partnered Authorized in the Epsom Classic in 2007, is responsible for eight of the 29 horses left in the colts’ test.
And the master of Ballydoyle raised the prospect of letting them all take their chance as he seeks to break his own record of eight Derby triumphs.
“All the ones that are left in are intended for the moment,” O’Brien said yesterday.
“They have to go through all their tests and everything has to be right.
“They have two bits left to do on Sunday and Tuesday and that will tell us exactly where we are.”
Bolshoi Ballet heads Paddy Power’s Derby betting at 15-8 after landing the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown under Ryan Moore this season.
And O’Brien expects his stable jockey to keep the partnership intact next weekend.
“We don’t ever put Ryan under any pressure – and nothing is written in stone – but that’s what you would presume,” he added.
Paddy Power pushed O’Brien’s Cazoo Oaks favourite Santa Barbara out to 9-4 (from 7-4) in the face of further support for stablemate Divinely, who is now down to 10-1 – having been 25-1 on Thursday.
But O’Brien expects the market leader to take a big step forward from her fourth in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 2.
“It was a big ask for her,” he said of the Curragh maiden winner. “The ground was quick and they have to know that little bit more when the ground is fast.
“She will have learned a lot from it.”
