Benvenuto Cellini

The Coolmore partners' Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) could make a quick reappearance in Royal Ascot's G2 King Edward VII Stakes on Friday, June 19, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien. Favoured in the G1 Betfred Derby, the colt finished 10th before being declared a non-runner after getting a hind foot caught in the stalls. Fellow Ballydoyle runner Christmas Day (Camelot) would go on to win the Blue Riband. O'Brien told Kevin Blake in an attheraces.com stable tour, "There's a chance he could run in the King Edward. We have to see how...

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is standing firm in response to criticism of how the stewards handled the aftermath of the stalls incident involving Benvenuto Cellini at Epsom on Saturday, expressing the view that its rules "should be in line with the majority of the international racing community on this issue, rather than an outlier". Aidan O'Brien's Derby favourite was deemed not to have had a fair start after his near hind leg was briefly caught on the inside shelf of the stalls as the gates opened for the premier...

Saturday, Epsom Downs, post time: 16:00, THE BETFRED DERBY-G1, £2,000,000, 3yo, c/f, 12f 6yT Field: Action (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Alderman (GB) (Study Of Man {GB}), Ancient Egypt (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), A Taste Of Glory (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), Balzac (Ger) (Japan {GB}), Bay Of Brilliance (GB) (New Bay {GB}), Benvenuto Cellini (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Christmas Day (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Item (GB) (Frankel {GB}), James J Braddock (GB) (Zarak {Fr}), Maltese Cross (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Pierre Bonnard (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Poker (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Rebel Rocker (GB) (Cityscape...

Aidan O'Brien's seven-strong Betfred Derby team is headed by Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) as 17 horses were left standing for the Epsom Classic at the latest forfeit stage on Monday. It was Dee Stakes winner Constitution River that led home an O'Brien-trained one-two-three in the French Derby at Chantilly on Sunday. Fellow Chester scorer Benvenuto Cellini is joined by Pierre Bonnard (Camelot), Action (Frankel), Causeway (Wootton Bassett), Endorsement (Wootton Bassett), Christmas Day (Camelot) and Proposition (Frankel) at the five-day stage. Although holding an exceptional hand once again in a race he...

Fitzdares bookmakers say they are more than happy to take on Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) at odds of 2-1 and nominated 11-1 chance James J Braddock (Zarak) as being the most likely danger to the Aidan O'Brien-trained market leader. Benvenuto Cellini shot to the head of the Derby betting after winning the Chester Vase by over four lengths earlier this month. His odds hardened further on Wednesday when O'Brien confirmed that stablemate and impressive Dee Stakes winner Constitution River (Wootton Bassett), who had been a general 4-1 chance for...

Juddmonte's Item has been rated 117p by Timeform for his York heroics. The son of Frankel won the G2 Dante Stakes earlier this week. He is rated one pound below G1 Betfred Derby rival and G3 Chester Vase hero Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel). Below the top two are Listed Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes one-two Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars) and Bay Of Brilliance (New Bay). Timeform's senior analyst Rory King said, "Item's success in the Dante means he'll head to the Derby, trailing only Benvenuto Cellini in the ratings, with the...

If horse racing is your thing and you value the Derby above all other races, then there can be no finer way to spend a Monday morning in May than at the place which has had more influence on the great race than any other. Ballydoyle can be held up alongside any of the great sporting arenas such as Lord's, Murrayfield, Old Trafford, Fenway Park, the MCG. True, it's not where the competition actually takes place, but what happens on its fabled acres has long been of worldwide significance to...

With just a few pieces of the jigsaw still to be slotted into place this week at York, the Epsom picture has emerged a little more clearly over the past week or so through some key Derby and Oaks trials at Chester, Lingfield and Leopardstown. Most have been dominated by Aidan O'Brien, including a clean sweep of the five stakes races on the Roodee. So where better to start than at Ballydoyle on a fresh Monday morning with a trainer in a jovial mood after bagging his second Classic of...

Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) is set to follow the same path to Epsom as last year's Classic hero, Lambourn (Australia), by contesting next month's G3 Chester Vase on the Roodee. Aidan O'Brien had been eyeing the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom as a stepping stone to the Derby for Benvenuto Cellini, who is a general 6/1 shot for the premier Classic after winning two of his four starts as a two-year-old, notably landing the G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown, before finishing third in the G1 Futurity Trophy at...

Saturday, Doncaster, post time: 14:05, THE WILLIAM HILL FUTURITY TROPHY-G1, £200,000, 2yo, c/f, 8fT Field: Action (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Benvenuto Cellini (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Hawk Mountain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Oxagon (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), Rochfortbridge (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). TDN Analysis: A small field, but some quandaries with the line-up not yet confirmed. Heavy ground could see one of the big two Ballydoyle hopes taken out and it is not a given that the Champions Juvenile winner Benvenuto Cellini and the Beresford winner Hawk Mountain will take each other on, as...

Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel) is one of nine Aidan O'Brien-trained colts to stand his ground for the G1 William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday. The impressive Killarney winner went on to take the G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes. Other entrants hailing from Ballydoyle include G3 Zetland Stakes hero Pierre Bonnard (Camelot), the group-placed Action (Frankel), the stakes-placed Frescobaldi (No Nay Never), G2 Beresford Stakes winner Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett), New Zealand (Frankel), G3 Killavullan Stakes victor Dorset (Wootton Bassett), Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Basilica), and G3 Eyrefield Stakes...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features the son of a Breeders' Cup heroine. 5.15 Killarney, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, 8f 20yT BENVENUTO CELLINI (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) made a deep impression when coming off second best to stablemate Dorset at The Curragh last month and will be expected to go one better in this...