BROOME kept Aidan O’Brien on course for a clean sweep of the Investec Derby trials when leading home a Ballydoyle 1-2-3 at Leopardstown yesterday.
Punters sent the son of Australia off the 2-5 favourite for the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at the south Dublin track.
And Broome didn’t disappoint, coming home strongly under the trainer’s son Donnacha to beat stable-companions Blenheim Palace by two and half lengths, with O’Brien’s Sovereign half a length back in third.
Bookies cut the winner to a best-priced 7-1 for the Derby at Epsom on June 1 and O’Brien, said: “He’s lovely and lazy and responds only when you want him.
“If you look at where he was turning in, he did well to make up the ground and Donnacha knew he was there in plenty of time,” added the master of Ballydoyle, who has captured the 2000 Guineas, Chester Vase, Dee Stakes and Lingfield Derby Trial in the past nine days.
O’Brien, who saddles Japan in Thursday’s Dante Stakes at York, is now 1-3 (from 1-2) with Paddy Power to win a seventh Derby.
