O’Brien wants good track
Master trainer concerned Australia might have problems handling soft footing in Derby
The first seeds of doubt regarding Investec Derby favourite Australia were sown last week, when Aidan O’Brien admitted he would prefer the ground at Epsom to be sound enough on June 7 (UK time) to suit the colt’s flowing action. Bookmaker reaction was to ease the colt to 11-10.
This was the first report from Ballydoyle containing even a semblance of negativity concerning the son of Galileo.
Even the revelation that he had coughed up to six weeks before the 2000 Guineas had been dismissed as largely irrelevant in terms of his Derby challenge.
Now, only a few days days before the classic and with the ground generally soft after persistent rain, O’Brien was at pains to sound a cautionary note.
“We wouldn’t like the ground to be soft,” he said in a phone interview at Thursday’s Breakfast With The Stars at Epsom.
“He’s a beautiful-moving horse, everybody saw the class he showed at Newmarket [ when third in the 2000 Guineas]. Obviously, soft ground wouldn’t be ideal, but we’ll have to hope it’s not.”
Ballydoyle will have four Derby runners. Australia ( Joseph O’Brien) will be joined by Geoffrey Chaucer (Ryan Moore), Orchestra, and Kingfisher.
The Derby market has become uneasy and a close eye on market reaction on Friday could be informative as Australia is believed to be scheduled to have his final serious gallop at Ballydoyle that morning.
There was much to like about the manner in which Kingston Hill worked over 10 furlongs and jockey Andrea Atzeni was full of praise, saying: “He went really nicely. He travelled good and quickened up well.
“He handled the ground — it’s pretty soft out there — but I was very pleased with him. He pricked his ears when he got to the front, he always does that.”
John Gosden may be two-handed in the Derby as a gallop at Newmarket on Friday will determine whether Romsdal is to be supplemented. The colt ran with great promise when narrowly touched off by Orchestra in the Chester Vase.
Gosden’s confirmed runner is Western Hymn, who had a strong canter around Epsom on Thursday. “He handled the hill, switched his legs very well and his head carriage is better,” he said.