Battle Of Marengo is a 5-1 shot for the Investec Derby

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Ballydoyle to run Marengo in Derrinstown

INVESTEC Derby second favourite Battle Of Marengo will be given another chance to shine this weekend in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Aidan O’Brien said on Monday.

The son of 2001 Derby hero Galileo was an impressive winner on his return in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown last month, and is set to return to the same track on Sunday as the clock ticks down to Epsom.

Battle Of Marengo is Ballydoyle’s number one Derby hope, according to the market, in advance of this week’s trials at Chester, Lingfield and Leopardstown, being around a 5-1 shot, with stablemate Mars, who was third in the 2,000 Guineas, double that price.

“The plan is to run the big horse [Battle Of Marengo] in the Derrinstown,” O’Brien confirmed, as he also revealed that, while all bookmakers have removed Kingsbarns from the Derby reckoning, the Racing Post Trophy winner is not yet a completely lost cause as far as Epsom is concerned.

“Kingsbarns is not going to be fit enough to run in any of the next few trials,” said the trainer. “He’s done so little for so long now that he’s got very big, and is about 20 kilos above what his racing weight should be. He’s sound and we’ll keep going with him and see what happens, but it wouldn’t be fair on him to rush him too much.”

Dawn Approach was on Monday confirmed by Jim Bolger and Godolphin an intended runner in the Derby, for which he is 6-4 with Coral but 7-4 generally.

The only British-trained colt at a single-figure price is Telescope – around a 5-1 shot – whose intended comeback race is the Betfred Dante Stakes at York on May 16.

Entries for the Derrinstown – the Derby trial of choice for Ballydoyle – as well as the Lingfield Classic trials this Saturday, both of which were reopened, are revealed on Tuesday.

fonte: RacingPost