Australia's Broome Adds To Ballydoyle Epsom Assault

“There are a lot of horses there”, commented Aidan O'Brien in his typically understated way at Leopardstown on Sunday as he pondered the stable's tsunami of Epsom Derby hopefuls including the easy G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. scorer Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Ballydoyle have now won every recognised Derby trial in Britain and Ireland in 2019 and this talented and progressive colt is responsible for two having rated a very impressive winner of the Apr. 6 G3 Ballysax S. over this course and distance. Uncovering which of the yard's plethora of contenders for the blue riband will come out on top was an already taxing pursuit, but after another convincing prep performance from Broome it is fitting more into the unsolvable conundrum criteria.

Now that connections know how to ride him to best effect, the bay was again held up towards the rear by Donnacha O'Brien as a familiar Rosegreen offensive played out way up ahead courtesy of the 33-1 handicap winner Blenheim Palace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the Ballysax runner-up Sovereign (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). With that duo stretching the remainder of the field beyond comfort, the 2-5 favourite who required his customary nudging along three out began to come on strong once again as he straightened for home. Making light of the stiff finish at this Dublin venue, he was comfortably on top from a furlong down and there was much to appreciate about the manner in which he lowered his head and drove to the line for a 2 1/2-length success. Blenheim Palace, a full-brother to Churchill (Ire), kept on well for a marked career-best, but it was all Broome at the end and rightly so.

Epsom's mile and a half will surely bring out even more improvement if his last two outings are any guide and like Saturday's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) he has group 1 form at two as ballast. Current betting for Epsom suggests only Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is capable of wedging the door open for the British-trained contingent and if he fails to come back strong in Thursday's G2 Dante S.–in which he meets this stable's winter number one for the Derby, Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire})–it could already be slammed shut. The best prices on offer at the end of Sunday's action tell their own story, with Sir Dragonet at 7-2, Too Darn Hot at 9-2, Broome at 7-1 and Anthony Van Dyck and Japan at 8-1. That's four of the top five trained at Ballydoyle, with the Lloyd-Webbers' champion juvenile still a doubtful participant. One of the very few things O'Brien has yet to achieve is a one-two-three in the Derby, but few would bet against it occurring this year.

Despite the adrenaline rush of Chester, Lingfield and now Leopardstown the humble master of Co. Tipperary's racing powerhouse is keeping the excitement levels to a minimum. “We're delighted with Broome–he has a lazy way of racing, but is able to make up ground very well and Donnacha was very happy he was going to get there,” he said. “He went to the line very well and the plan in the spring was always these three races for him, the two trials and then Epsom. He is out of a fast mare and has a lot more speed than you'd think. It's more laziness than anything that makes you think he needs much further, but we hope he'll get a mile and a half.”

Whether Broome can become the first Derby winner to come off a success in this since High Chaparral (Ire) in 2002 is more a question of if there is a more talented colt in his stable. His obvious staying power is a surprise, given that his dam Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) captured the five-furlong Listed National S. as a juvenile, but it is worth noting that she did go on to finish runner-up in the GIII Appalachian S. over a mile when with David Carroll. This is the stout Hesmonds Stud family of the G3 Fred Darling S. winner Bulaxie (GB) (Bustino {GB}), her G2 Premio Lydia Tesio-winning daughter Claxon (GB) (Caerleon) and the latter's G1 Nassau S. runner-up Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), all three of which were sent to Epsom by John Dunlop only to disappoint in the Oaks.

Cassydora, who went on to win the GIII  Hillsborough S. for Todd Pletcher, produced this stable's dual G3 Curragh Cup-winning classy stayer Ernest Hemingway (Ire) from a mating with Australia's sire Galileo (Ire). The Coolmore monarch's influence in this pedigree is also felt via his greatest son Frankel (GB) whose son Rostropovich (Ire) turned out to be a mile-and-a-half performer through and through for this yard last year. Second in the G1 Irish Derby, he was even fifth in the G1 Melbourne Cup over two miles in November having won this track's 12-furlong G3 Kilternan S. Along with Ernest Hemingway, Coolmore have also drawn from the deep well of this family with the G1 Phoenix S. hero and successful sire Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and Rostropovich's G3 Anglesey S.-winning half-brother Wilshire Boulevard (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Sweepstake has since produced a 2-year-old filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and a yearling filly by Rostropovich's sire Frankel.

Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DERRINSTOWN STUD DERBY TRIAL S.-G3, €100,000, Leopardstown, 5-12, 3yo, 10fT, 2:09.18, g/y.
1–BROOME (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, SW & GSP-US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Donnacha O'Brien. €59,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-3-2-0, $259,337. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Blenheim Palace (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Meow (Ire), by Storm Cat. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Liberty Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
3–Sovereign (Ire), 129, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Devoted To You (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €10,000.
Margins: 2HF, HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 33.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Rakan (GB), Buckhurst (Ire), Guaranteed (Ire), Pythion (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.