Joseph O'Brien is plenty familiar with the winner's enclosure of the G1 Investec Derby, having visited it twice in the saddle of Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) in 2012 and Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) two years later. On Saturday the 24-year-old will look to become the first individual since 1961 to ride and train winners of the Blue Riband when he saddles Lloyd Williams's Rekindling (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
O'Brien, who trained a Group 1 winner in Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in his first season as a trainer last year, said a piece of history isn't something that is on his mind, however, as he prepares to saddle his first Derby runner.
“I've never really thought about creating history or anything like that, to be honest,” he said. “When you train racehorses it's a 24-7 job, you don't really get much time to think of things like that. You can't allow yourself to, really, as you'd put too much pressure on yourself.”
Rekindling bested fellow Derby contender Douglas Macarthur (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Ballysax S. at Leopardstown on Apr. 8, but dropped back to fourth in the G2 Dante S. on May 18 and will have to buck 20-1 odds to land in the winner's enclosure. But O'Brien is able to find plenty of positives with his charge.
“When you have a horse like him who has won a trial in Ireland and run well in traditionally the best trial in England, you have to have a go at the Derby,” he said. “One thing Rekindling has in his favour is experience. That's what he's got over those that have only had two or three runs.”
“At the time of the Dante, a few people weren't that impressed with the form because the winner [Permian] looked exposed, but his form keeps on getting franked,” O'Brien added.
“On reflection, I thought our lad ran a good race at York. He was staying on again and did well to finish as well as he did because he didn't like the ground. He's in good form, so when you have a Derby horse you have to go for it. You never know if they are going to handle the whole Epsom show until you get there, but he's been over to York on a relatively busy day and nothing bothered him there.”
Of his opposition, the young trainer added, “At the moment there is no stand-out contender and you wouldn't be surprised if there was a 20-1 winner, but you can guarantee after the race there'll be one [a stand-out]. That's what the Derby does; it produces champions. Something will come out of the woodwork. This could be the year for a surprise and if it's ours, we'll be delighted.”
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