Derby Clues At Leopardstown

While the 1000 Guineas takes place at Newmarket, Derby pointers are available at Leopardstown on Sunday as Aidan O'Brien dominates the latest renewal of the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. Successful a record 10 times in this, including with the subsequent blue riband heroes Galileo (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire), it will be a surprise if he is unable to extend that sequence with any of the Galileo-sired G3 Ballysax S. second, third and fourth Douglas Macarthur (Ire), Yucatan (Ire) and Capri (Ire) respectively. Again the G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up Yucatan looks the stable's number one on jockey bookings and Alan Cooper, racing manager for part-owners Flaxman Stables, is hoping for improvement. “Aidan and Ryan Moore were very happy with his reappearance and the thought was that would leave him right for the race on Sunday,” he explained. “He has a blue-blood pedigree and has obviously got ability, so we'll see how he goes.” Away from the Ballysax form, which looks key to this edition, there are the Apr. 5 course-and-distance maiden first and second Insayshable (Ire) (Rajj {Ire}) and Naturalist (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The latter would be a shock winner, but trainer Willie McCreery is keen on him. “We always felt he was quite nice, but he's a big horse so we just minded him last year and we didn't want to empty him on soft ground at the end of the year,” he commented. “We've got to improve to turn the form around with the horse that beat us before we even think about beating Aidan's horses. There are only six runners, so it will be good experience for him and I think if he can step forward he should be there or thereabouts.”