Australia leads O’Brien’s projected quartet for Epsom Derby

Australia (right) was a terrific third in the Two Thousand Guineas (Courtesy of Epsom Downs via Twitter) Trainer Aidan O’Brien is bidding to win the Derby for a third successive year and he could field four runners at Epsom on June 7, headed by odds-on favorite Australia. “There’s a strong possibility that we could run Australia, Geoffrey Chaucer, Orchestra and Kingfisher — that’s what we’re thinking at the moment,” O’Brien said. Australia, the highly-touted son of Galileo and Ouija Board, was a close third in the May 4 Two Thousand Guineas over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. “Australia didn’t do much after the Guineas, but his work has gradually stepped up and everyone is happy with him now,” the trainer said. “We don’t take anything for granted ahead of any big race, we’re always hopeful and never confident. We were happy with the horse at Newmarket. We look forward to next week but we wouldn’t like the ground to be soft as he’s beautiful-moving horse.” Geoffrey Chaucer exits a troubled third in the May 11 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, while Orchestra just held on in the May 8 Chester Vase and Kingfisher captured the May 9 Dee, also at Chester.

“We were very happy with Geoffrey Chaucer at Leopardstown, but it wasn’t
ideal as it was a slowly-run race early on but he came out of it well,” O’Brien
said.

Rumor has it that Geoffrey Chaucer outworked Australia recently, but O’Brien
dismissed the notion.

“I don’t know where these come from,” O’Brien said of the whispers. “They
have obviously always been on different work regimes and both had different
races last time. I don’t know where it came from. I didn’t see it if it was —
maybe it happened, but I didn’t see it.

“At Chester we were delighted with both Orchestra and Kingfisher, who
finished off well in the Dee Stakes as it wasn’t a strongly-run race.

“I think
Joseph (O’Brien) would ride Australia and then Ryan (Moore) would be on another
of them.”

Frankie Dettori was angling to pick up a spare ride from Ballydoyle.

“My original Derby hope was Bunker,” Dettori said, “but he ran a bit rusty at
York so I don’t have a ride yet. So if Aidan O’Brien is listening to this — I
am available!

“I think the Derby is a wide-open race,” the popular jockey continued.
“Australia has got Guineas form but the Derby is a completely different race. No
prediction, but you can make a case for seven or eight horses. I would love to
have a ride — I don’t want to go to Salisbury!”

Asked if he would use Frankie Dettori, O’Brien commented: “Everyone knows how
good Frankie is and it would be hard to find a better man.”

Dermot Weld has never won the Derby in his long training career, and the
Curragh trainer is hoping that Fascinating Rock will put that record straight.

“I’ve been training for nearly 40 years and I’ve saddled 22 European classic
winners and saddled an Oaks winner early in my career and won a Newmarket Two
Thousand Guineas,” Weld said. “If I won the Derby it would be great — I’ve had
very few runners in the race.”

Fascinating Rock (left) and Ebanoran come out of a strong renewal of the Derrinstown Stud (Courtesy of Horse Racing Ireland via Twitter) Fascinating Rock was awarded the victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial upon the disqualification of the John Oxx-trained Ebanoran, who is also bound for Epsom. “The Leopardstown race is always a good classic trial for Epsom and I think that will prove the case this year,” Weld said. “Although there was a muddling pace early on, I think the first three home are very good. He’s come out of the race well, he’s put his weight back on and I’m pleased with him. “Australia is a very worthy favorite, the English Two Thousand Guineas form was a very good classic trial. I’m very happy with my horse. He’s adaptable and I expect a big run. But if Australia was not in the race I think Geoffrey Chaucer would be a short-priced favorite.” Simon Clare, from the Derby Festival’s official betting partner Coral, offered his view of the Derby betting. “Punters are drawn to quality, even when there is an odds-on favorite like Australia (4-6), who is beautifully bred, from Aidan O’Brien’s yard and ran a great race in the Guineas. But there are plenty of contenders, like True Story, Geoffrey Chaucer and Western Hymn,” Clare said. “There have been only two odds-on favorites in the last 17 years — Camelot won at 8-13 in 2012 and Entrepreneur was beaten into fourth in 1997 at 4-6 by a John Gosden-trained horse, Benny the Dip. So maybe the bookies will look to Western Hymn (trained by Gosden) to beat Australia.

“I believe that people think that Ryan Moore will ride Geoffrey Chaucer and
Ryan Moore’s record around this track is excellent. Geoffrey Chaucer was 14-1
and is now 7-1. Geoffrey Chaucer, Fascinating Rock and Ebanoran were close
together in the Derrinstown race, while Kingston Hill ran a good Derby trial
(when a closing eighth) in the Guineas.

“Sir Michael Stoute (Snow Story) has a great record in the Derby and Arod ran
an eye-catching race (when second) in the Dante so there are plenty of each-way
options. There will be crazy offers on Derby Day and Australia could be 2-1.”

Australia’s odds are likely to drift somewhat if the ground stays on the
softer side.

Andrew Cooper, head of racing at Epsom Downs, gave a weather update on
Thursday.

“The Met Office are describing next week as unsettled but without appreciable
volumes of rain,” Cooper said. “They are not flagging up the sort of rain —
heavy rain and thunderstorms — that we have had in the last week. I think we’ll
get a bit of rain but nothing too heavy next week. There may be some rain today
and then it is likely to be dry until Sunday evening when there might be some
rain.

“At Epsom, with a dry day, a bit of breeze and some warmth, you can easily
move a whole going point, so with two dry days here you can move from soft,
where we are at the moment, to at least the slow side of good. Watering doesn’t
look likely but I couldn’t rule anything out.

“I say every year, if there is a danger of the Derby being run on ground
quicker than good to firm, then we may do something. That does not look likely
and it would be great not to have to. Let’s hope nature takes care of it for us.

“We’ve had years when it’s been wet at this stage and we’ve ended up with
good ground on Derby Day. Every year is different and unique.”

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