Aidan O'Brien is aiming a quartet of high-class colts at the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh on Saturday. The Ballydoyle trainer is seeking his 12th victory in the race which is worth €1.5m this year. O'Brien's challengers, namely US Army Ranger (Ire), 'TDN Rising Star' Idaho (Ire), Port Douglas (Ire) and Shogun (Ire), incidentally all sons of Galileo (Ire), will be seeking revenge on their Epsom conqueror Harzand (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with US Army Ranger and Idaho only beaten a length and a half and three lengths respectively by the winner at Epsom.
“The horses have come out of Epsom well,” said the trainer, who saddled seven winners at Royal Ascot last week. “We are very happy with US Army Ranger. He was only a baby going into Epsom and we didn't know how he would take it so it was pitching him in big time and he was green and babyish but he has come forward and out of the race great, to be honest.” O'Brien continued, “Idaho ran a real big race at Epsom and you would have to say he progressed lovely from Leopardstown and we are very happy with him since. Shogun and Port Douglas are in the Derby as well and both could probably go there also but we'll see closer to the weekend what else lines up.”
One of his Epsom runners that will not take up his engagement on Saturday is Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with the trainer planning a drop down in trip for his next start. “Deauville will not run,” said O'Brien. “It looked like he didn't stay at Epsom, so at this stage we are looking at bringing him back to 10 furlongs for the [G1] Eclipse [July 2].”
O'Brien's star filly Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is also set for a reappearance at the weekend, but will stick to her own sex and take in the G1 Sea The Stars Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh on Sunday.
Confirmed the trainer of the four time Group 1 winner and dual Classic heroine, “We will probably run Minding in the Pretty Polly. I have been happy with her since the Oaks and providing everything goes well between now and the weekend, she will run.”
O'Brien also issued an update on last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Hit It A Bomb (War Front). The colt was unbeaten as a juvenile and has recovered from a setback that ruled him out of the early part of the season.
“He's coming along well and we're looking at running him in a race at the Oaks meeting at the Curragh next month,” O'Brien concluded. “He's suited to a mile to 10 furlongs.”
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