A Proven Path

After Golden Fleece had raised the bar by winning Leopardstown's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. in its former guise as the Nijinsky S. in 1982, the race went through a lull in the next decade, aside from the success of St Jovite in 1992 before Sinndar (Ire) lit it up again at the turn of the century. From 2001, the year that Galileo (Ire) came to the fore, Aidan O'Brien has made it his own with eight more triumphs to add to his prior two, and he will continue to extend that record over time. On paper, this year's quartet of Ballydoyle representatives lack the kind of star material that some of their predecessors like High Chaparral (Ire), Yeats (Ire), Dylan Thomas (Ire) and Fame and Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) possessed, and the waters have been further muddied by Ryan Moore opting not to ride the favourite Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Labeled a 'TDN Rising Star' when scoring with real authority on debut over a mile at The Curragh in October, he was fourth as the favourite behind Robin of Navan (Fr) (American Post {GB}) in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs at Saint-Cloud in November before returning to be second in the G3 Ballysax S. over this course and distance Apr. 10. Moore is on Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who looked in need of a step up in trip when third in the G3 Craven S. over a mile at Newmarket Apr. 14. There were glimpses of quality in his performances at two, and it is worth noting that he was introduced in the same Curragh maiden used for the stable's luminaries Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Rip Van Winkle (Ire), Duke of Marmalade (Ire), Horatio Nelson (Ire) (Danehill) and Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). Dermot Weld, who saddled His Highness The Aga Khan's Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to beat Idaho in the Ballysax, puts forward the same owner-breeder's Tirmizi (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), and the imposing bay has an abundance of potential with a course maiden win behind him over a mile in October. “He's a big horse. He's progressive and he wants good ground,” Weld said.