O’Brien dominates Investec Derby Festival entries

Aidan O’Brien could run as many as 15 horses in the three big races at Epsom this weekend. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Ireland’s champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien, is responsble for no less than 15 of the 35 horses left in the three QIPCO British Champions Series races to be run during the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom this weekend, including the unbeaten QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner, Camelot, who is set to go off one of the shortest-priced Investec Derby favourites for many years.

Twelve horses remain engaged for Saturday’s Investec Derby, with O’Brien also leaving the easy Dee Stakes winner, Astrology, the Bet365 Classic Trial winner, Imperial Monarch, and Father Of Science and Tower Rock in the mile-and-a-half contest, which will be the most valuable race ever run in Britain.

The pick of the opposition look to be the Betfred Dante Stakes winner, Bonfire, trained by Andrew Balding, and the Betfred Derby Trial winner, Main Sequence, trained by David Lanigan.

The Marcus Tregoning-trained Cavaleiro, who will be ridden by the first ever female to take a Derby ride with Hayley Turner confirmed as the colt’s jockey, Minimise Risk (Andrew Balding), Mickdaam (Richard Fahey), Rugged Cross (Henry Candy) and Thought Worthy (John Gosden) complete the remaining entries.

In the Investec Oaks on Friday, O’Brien’s sextet includes the likely favourite, Maybe. Last year’s champion two-year-old filly was third on her seasonal reappearance in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas last month.

He may also saddle the unbeaten Kissed and outsiders Betterbetterbetter, Devotion, Twirl and Was.

The impressive unbeaten winner of the Betfred Oaks Trial, Vow, trained by William Haggas, and the easy Tattersalls Musidora Stakes winner, The Fugue (John Gosden), head the home team. 

O’Brien’s star duo left in the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup (sponsored by Investec) are last year’s winner, St Nicholas Abbey, who went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf at the end of last year, and last year’s Investec Derby runner-up and Irish Derby winner, Treasure Beach. His other entries are Robin Hood and Windsor Palace.

The brilliant Dubai World Cup winner, Monterosso, has also stood his ground for trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni, as has the recent Sportingbet Yorkshire Cup winner, Red Cadeaux (Ed Dunlop), the highly regarded Beaten Up (William Haggas), last year’s Ladbrokes St Leger winner, Masked Marvel (John Gosden), and the Luca Cumani-trained Quest For Peace.