Talking Horses: How much does Aidan O'Brien crave French Derby victory?

The Ballydoyle trainer has four of the top six in the betting for the Epsom Derby but has even spoken of running likely favourite Sir Dragonet at Chantilly

This year, more than any other year, it has become important to anticipate Aidan O’Brien’s running plans for the Derby. The master of Ballydoyle has four of the top six in the betting plus other potential runners, only he’s considering sending a couple of them to the French Derby instead. He has even spoken of the possibility of Sir Dragonet, who would start favourite for Epsom if he ran there, turning up at Chantilly. A significant edge awaits any punter who can work out the plans in advance although he has been speaking this morning at the ‘Breakfast With The Stars’ press conference.

So, in an effort to climb inside Aidan’s head and work out his motivation, I had a look through his record in the French Derby. My tentative thesis was that the horses he’s run there over the years have not proved to be of any great consequence in the long run, reflecting the reality that it’s not a priority for him, and therefore he’d be unlikely to send such a promising young animal as Sir Dragonet.

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