A bookmaker was offering just 1-5 on Aidan O’Brien winning a record-equalling seventh Derby next month after his colt Rostropovich took the Dee Stakes here on Thursday and, though there are plenty of Classic trials to come over the next two weeks, the implication that O’Brien has around an 80% chance of saddling this year’s Epsom winner does not feel like a wild overreaction.
Saxon Warrior, the 2,000 Guineas winner, is an even-money chance, while O’Brien is likely to have at least three or four Classically bred runners to back him up after all the trials are run.
Rostropovich, a son of Frankel, was cut to around 16-1 (from 66-1) after beating My Lord And Master by nearly four lengths under Ryan Moore and would be a fair each-way option at around that price. Whether he makes the cut for Epsom or goes elsewhere, though, will not be decided for a couple of weeks, and the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly, the day after Epsom, is a live alternative.
“They’re all that type of horse that we need to find out where they can slot in,” O’Brien said after the Dee. “The improvement in them can be drastic, and then you hope that they step forward again [in a Classic].
“The ground was so bad [in Ireland] last year that some of them, we didn’t even get runs into them and we forgot about their maidens. Everybody is learning at the same time as we are. Obviously we have Ascot and the French Derby to think about, [but] I’m never against running a lot of horses [in the Derby] as it’s what they’re born, bred and reared to do and we want to give them a chance.”
Nelson, Delano Roosevelt and The Pentagon, who finished one‑two‑three in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown last month, are expected to line up for O’Brien in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, while Kew Gardens, the beaten favourite in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, has been declared for the Lingfield Derby Trial on Saturday.
Any or all could yet be in the Classic field at Epsom on 2 June, while the search for a strong British-trained candidate to take on Team O’Brien could come down to the Dante Stakes at York next Thursday, where Charlie Appleby’s Ghaiyyath and John Gosden’s Sevenna Star, the winner of the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown, are among the possible runners.
O’Brien left the Roodee with a double after Idaho, a full brother to the trainer’s King George and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Highland Reel, made a successful step up in trip to win the Group Three Ormonde Stakes by three and a half lengths.
Moore plotted the same ground-saving path around the inside that he had used aboard Rostropovich and quickly built a decisive lead after sending Idaho ahead at the top of the straight.
“We came here with a view to going back to the Coronation [Cup at Epsom, in which Idaho made his four-year-old debut last season] as that [a mile and a half] is as far as we ran him [in 2017],” O’Brien said.
“Ryan was very happy with how well he stayed so that leaves more options for us. Ryan didn’t think that he would have any problems going further so that’s good to know. He’s travelled the world and he’s getting very professional now, so we came here looking at the Coronation and King George but we can maybe look at another plan if we need to.”
Market Rasen 1.30 Ilewin Geez 2.05 Pickamix 2.40 The Blue Bomber 3.15 Just Milly 3.45 Dormouse 4.20 Cafe Au Lait 4.55 Too Much Too Soon 5.30 Encore Champs
Lingfield 1.40 Stoney Broke 2.15 Glitterdust 2.50 Glory Fighter 3.25 Jumira Bridge 3.55 Hateya 4.30 Salute The Soldier 5.05 Hedging
Chester 1.50 Above The Rest 2.25 Forest Ranger 3.00 Dark Red 3.35 Who Dares Wins (nap) 4.05 Kachy 4.40 Rainbow Rebel 5.15 Coeur De Lion
Nottingham 5.10 Dame Gladys 5.40 Raa Atoll 6.15 Worth Waiting 6.45 Lamloom (nb) 7.20 Beatbybeatbybeat 7.50 Birdette 8.25 Billyoakes
Ascot 5.25 Cleonte 6.00 Come On Leicester 6.35 Corgi 7.05 George Of Hearts 7.40 Dreamfield 8.10 Corrosive
Ripon 5.50 Essenza 6.25 Rita’s Man 6.55 Stanhope 7.30 Mordin 8.00 Zig Zag 8.35 Fakhoor
Tips by Greg Wood.
