Less than two weeks out from the G1 Epsom Derby, trainer Aidan O'Brien is unclear as to who his stable number one will be as he aims for a fourth straight win in the historic Classic.
O'Brien was non-committal about Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who added Saturday's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas to his English 2000 Guineas score, and he said G3 Gallinule S. second Giovanni Canaletto (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could aim for Royal Ascot.
“I thought if he was going to go to Epsom then he needed to go to Chester,” O'Brien said of the latter, a full-brother to O'Brien's 2013 Derby winner Ruler of the World (Ire). “It looks like it might be a bit quick to go to Epsom. The right thing might be to go to Royal Ascot or come back here for the Irish Derby, something like that, with a view to having him next year.”
Of Gleneagles, O'Brien said, “I'd say the odds are probably more against him than with him going.”
There has been speculation last year's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) would be supplemented for the Derby, and O'Brien said, “I've only read in the paper about Found. She is obviously a possible to step up to a mile and a half and there's other fillies for the Oaks.”
O'Brien pointed to his Listed Lingfield Derby Trial S. scorer Kilimanjaro (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and G3 Chester Vase winner Hans Holbein (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) as Derby possibles.
“The Lingfield horse, Kilimanjaro, you'd think he'd step up, and Hans Holbein is a solid horse who will get a mile and a half well and probably further. All those things are there and open; a lot to be discussed in the next week to 10 days.”
In other Derby news, the G2 Dante S. 1-2-3 Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) and Elm Park (GB) (Phoenix Reach {Ire}) are set to stretch their legs at Tuesday's Breakfast With The Stars at Epsom. They will be joined by G1 Epsom Oaks hopefuls Star of Seville (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), Jazzi Top (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and Al Naamah (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
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