Aidan O'Brien's Eight Derby Entries Examined

The master Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien could field up to eight runners in this year's Investec Derby and we are going to take a look through all of his horses and summarise there chances of landing the prestigious Group 1.

Starting with the favourite for the whole race and this three year old colt looks to be the pick of the bunch from just his two runs so far this season going on to score nicely in both events, dominating the fields.

He started his career off in April over 1 mile 4 furlongs at Tipperary and with other O'Brien runners in the field he was 14/1 on debut but ran more like an odds on favourite, bolting up on soft ground.

His second race was much more of an eye opener, again on soft ground and if the conditions on Derby day were not wet that would be the only negative for the colt as he has not been seen on quicker ground.

However, the three year old son of Camelot lined up in the Group 3 Chester Vase at the May Boodles festival and again not being favourite and going off at 13/2, he hosed up to land the spoils and solidify his status at the top of the Derby market.

He currently looks to have every aspect of a Derby winner and will be tough to beat.

The second favourite in the market is the more frequently raced Broome who compared to Sir Dragonet was ran as a two year old and showed glimpses of potential over 7f to a mile.

This season the highly rated three year old out of Group 1 winning Australia has been stepped up in trip and targeted at the Derby from the outset.

Since the step up in distance he has felt at home with it, landing both contests in good style. His seasonal return came at Leopardstown in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes on soft ground and he was a gritty winner that day.

His next run of the season again came at the Irish track where in the 1 mile 2 furlong Derby Trial he gave a smart performance at odds on and became another of O'Brien's team to be high up in the betting market for the Classic at Epsom.

He has won two Group races this season and that is nice form heading into this race, the only negative is that he has never been over 1 mile 4f and that might just be too far, but we will see on the day.

The third favourite in the market is the very smart and well bred Anthony Van Dyck who was a classy two year old who was one of the Ballydoyle team that was a stand out performer last season.

As a juvenile he landed Group 2 and 3 races and then finished a good second behind Godolphin's superstar two year old Quorto in a Group 1 at the Curragh.

He ended his season with a run in England in the Group 1 Dewhurst finishing third behind Too Darn Hot who looks to be a special horse, he also went over to America at the Breeders Cup meeting but that run can have a line put through it.

Back as a three year old and he has looked to have matured into his coat and looks a much better animal and this was proved on his seasonal return at Lingfield.

In the Derby Trial stakes over just under 1 mile 4f he went on to beat 10 capable runners and throw his hat into the Derby mix. At 5/1 he looks a nice price and will only come on for that run with stamina looking no issue.

Now moving on to some of the bigger prices for the Irish trainer and a current 10/1 shot is the very expensive Japan who was bought by Coolmore for 1,300,000 Guineas.

This son of Galileo holds a hell of a lot of potential and is very lightly raced meaning there could be so much to come from the three year old and for the money paid for this colt you would hope there is.

He raced three time as a juvenile finishing seventh on his debut but then getting hold of things in his next two landing them in good style, with his final outing of the season seeing him land the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at Naas.

He started his highly anticipated three year old season in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York and was beaten quite easily finishing a mid-field fourth, a fair way behind the leaders.

This can be put down to it being his first run and he will improve for his first start but on this evidence he looks slightly up against it still.

You can't discount any Aidan O'Brien horses in any race regardless of the price with him landing the Derby back in 2017 with 40/1 outsider Wings Of Eagles.

Circus Maximus has been a hit and miss horse as a two year old winning one of his four runs as a two year old but his loses coming in tough races behind the best juveniles of last season.

He started his three year old campaign off in great style at Chester two weeks ago landing the Listed Dee Stakes over 1 mile 2f which looks nice preparation for the Derby and is not without a chance of placing but going on to win does look a stretch.

Another winner on his seasonal return for the master trainer was Cape of Good Hope who was another colt that was inconsistent as a two year old but looks to have matured nicely as a three year old.

As a juvenile he finished second and third in two Group contests which look to be his best form but this son of Galileo had been waiting for a step up in trip and go that on his seasonal debut.

The Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom was his first run of the season and he went on to win beating other potential Derby opponents staying on really well.

What makes for good reading about this success is that it came at the Derby track that for many horses is hard to handle and we already know that he does.

The penultimate potential runner for O'Brien is another son of Galileo and Mohawk is the joint biggest odds from this team of runners being an outsider at 50/1.

He has raced seven times in his career, with six of them coming at two years of age and he has won tow of them, with his best performance coming in a Group 2 at Newmarket.

He finished second in behind stablemate Circus Maximus at Chester and looked to be staying on meaning 1 mile 4f might be just what he needs but big improvement will be needed for him to be involved.

The final runner from the Ballydoyle contingent is Norway who is yet again a son of Galileo who we believe holds a huge amount of potential and even at a price of 50/1 would not shy us away of putting him up as an each way selection.

As a juvenile his two best performances came when winning a decent maiden at Naas and then backing that up at Newmarket in a Listed event.

On his first start this season and run that can be looked at as just getting it out the way to get him fitter was when finishing quite a way back behind Sir Dragonet in the Chester Vase.

Norway is very much entitled to come on for that run and with the ground being soft that day it really didn't play to his strengths. If he gets good ground the three year old can't be discounted.