Ryan Moore will ride US Army Ranger in Saturday’s Derby, confounding rumours that the jockey was about to make a more surprising choice from Aidan O’Brien’s possible Epsom runners. It appears that at least one and possibly two of O’Brien’s seven entrants will be diverted to Sunday’s French Derby.
The odds available about US Army Ranger now seem likely to shorten once more. Having been as short as 7-2 at the start of the week, the Chester Vase winner drifted to 11-2 in places on Tuesday and traded at 7-1 on Betfair.
The cause of that drift was disputed but some on social media noted that his stablemate Deauville had shortened at the same time to a top price of 10-1. They speculated that Moore was about to pledge allegiance to Deauville.
Instead, Jamie Spencer will ride that one, with Seamie Heffernan on Idaho, Colm O’Donoghue on Port Douglas and Donnacha O’Brien taking his first Derby mount on Shogun, according to bookings published by the Racing Post. Bravery will go for the French race with Moore riding, while Beacon Rock may also be diverted there, with a final decision about him to be made on Thursday.
O’Brien Sr is hoping to train his sixth Derby winner, which would equal the total achieved from his Ballydoyle base by his predecessor, Vincent O’Brien. But the most likely favourite is trained in Newmarket, since John Gosden’s Wings Of Desire currently heads the market on 5-1.
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