O’Brien mops up Investec Derby trials

Battle Of Marengo wins the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Whether they will pose a real threat to hot Investec Derby favourite, Dawn Approach, remains to be seen, but Aidan O’Brien has won four Derby trials in the last few days and there’s one thing you can be sure of – if Dawn Approach does have a stamina weakness stepping up from the mile of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas to the Investec Derby’s mile and a half, O’Brien will use everything at his disposal to expose it.

He won Chester’s two big Derby trails, the Dee Stakes with Magician and the Chester Vase with Ruler Of The World, before landing the Lingfield Derby Trial with Nevis and yesterday’s Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial with Battle Of Marengo.

With Kingsbarns still on the sidelines, Battle Of Marengo is his shortest priced Derby challenger, but he made quite heavy weather of defeating Dawn Approach’s stable companion, Loch Garman, yesterday at odds of 2-13.

Assessing his potential Investec Derby team, O’Brien said: “We have Indian Chief to run in the Dante at York on Thursday and when that race is over we will all sit down and discuss what horses will be going to Epsom.”

A more potent threat to Dawn Approach may yet prove to be the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Telescope, who has greatly pleased his connections on the gallops recently and who will also run in the Betfred Dante Stakes on Thursday.