Trainer Aidan O'Brien said he expects his stable jockey Ryan Moore to leave the decision of who he will ride in Saturday's G1 Investec Derby until the last minute. O'Brien has seven still engaged, headed in the betting by Listed Dee S. winner Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and also including the G3 Chester Vase one-two-three Venice Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and The Anvil (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); Leopardstown's Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial one-three Douglas Macarthur (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and longshot Finn McCool (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
“We've seven left in and they all seem to be well at the moment,” O'Brien said. “The three from the Chester Vase are very strong possibles and the horse that won the Dee S. and the two from Leopardstown. Ryan doesn't have to make up his mind until Thursday morning. We'll go through all the horses and everything will be discussed. I wouldn't say anything is written in stone yet.”
O'Brien said he would leave race tactics up to his riders.
“The lads will sort that out themselves,” he said. “Epsom is a tough track, there's a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs and it is the Derby.”
O'Brien has five of the 13 entries remaining in Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club, and said no decisions have been finalized as to which of Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Taj Mahal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), War Decree (War Front) or Whitecliffsofdover (War Front) will line up.
“It's not really decided yet,” the trainer told At The Races. “Obviously we're looking at it with Orderofthegarter, Taj Mahal, War Decree and maybe Whitecliffsofdover. Homesman (War Front) only won last week so we took him out as it might come a little too quick and Wings Of Eagles [who still holds an entry in the French Derby] is still in the mix for the [Investec] Derby.”
The Jockey Club favourite is G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains victor Brametot (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}).
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