Aidan O’Brien on Monday confirmed he could saddle as many as four runners in next month’s Betfred Derby – but stopped short of committing impressive Chester winner Constitution River for Epsom.
Ballydoyle have swept virtually all before them in the spring Derby trials and were utterly dominant on the Roodee last week with Benvenuto Cellini impressive in the Boodles Chester Vase, while Constitution River routed his field 24 hours later in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes.
The former strengthened his position at the head of the Derby market following his decisive four-and-a-quarter-length success, while Constitution River was backed into second favouritism after thumping Generic by seven lengths.
However the latter, a 4/1 chance with the sponsors, is also being seriously considered for a trip to Chantilly on May 31 to tackle the French Derby along with the likes of Montreal and Hawk Mountain.
O’Brien said: ‘Constitution River could possibly go to France – it’s not written in stone. The two horses that went to France for their trials (Montreal and Hawk Mountain), the plan with both of them was definitely to go to France.
‘Constitution River went to Chester knowing that he could be an Epsom or a French horse. And we were happy that it was a mile and a quarter, just in case he was going to go to France. The only thing is, if he goes to France, he’s only (gone) left-handed so far – he didn’t go right-handed yet.
Aidan O’Brien is eyeing a 12th Derby win after a commanding start to the flat season this year
‘We felt, and the way it was looking, he looked very different going through all his work. He looked very good last year and seems to have come out of the race well.
‘Constitution River is one of those mile and a quarter horses that could get a mile and a half, but you couldn’t be sure. If you were riding him over a mile and a half, you’d be riding him a bit patiently. But he’s a lot of speed and a lot of class.
‘At the moment, we are looking at the horse that won the Chester Vase, Benvenuto Cellini, for Epsom. We are also looking at the horse that ran on Sunday at Leopardstown, Pierre Bonnard.
‘Pierre Bonnard was a massive, big horse and we purposely let him get as big as we could over the winter and as strong as we could because we didn’t want him to turn into a shell early.
‘So, we felt we had to run him (in the Ballysax Stakes). The race went a bit wrong and he was needing to run. Because he was where he was, we couldn’t go, say, and attack into him and have him really ready for Sunday because then we wouldn’t carry on to the Derby.
‘We stripped him back a bit more for Leopardstown. The pace was probably too slow for him, but he still ran very well. I would think and we think that he would step up big time next time going a mile and a half.’
O’Brien looks like being multiply represented in Thursday’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York with Christmas Day and Action looking to add their names to Ballydoyle’s Epsom contenders’ list.
‘Christmas Day was always a very legitimate horse and he has gone under the radar a little,’ added O’Brien.
‘We were going to France with him last year to the Group One that Pierre Bonnard won and he got a temperature and he had to stop.
‘He beat the horse that was second yesterday (Pierre Bonnard) in the Ballysax Stakes so, it’s going to be interesting. And I’d say he’s probably stepped up from the Ballysax.
‘The York horses are obviously all still in the Epsom picture, depending on what happens.’
O’Brien will be represented by Moments Of Joy in tomorrow’s Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes where she will tackle five rivals, including last year’s Fillies’ Mile fourth Legacy Link and Felicitas, an impressive three-length winner of a Sandown novice event on her comeback.
