Aidan O'Brien drops strong Derby hint about Sir Dragonet going for Epsom glory

Aidan O’Brien has given the clearest indication yet that Sir Dragonet, a runaway winner of the Chester Vase earlier this month, will run in the Investec Derby on June 1 after telling Epsom’s “Breakfast with the Stars” on Tuesday that, as far as owner John Magnier is concerned, the race is still the “holy grail”.

The colt, who was massively ­impressive on soft ground at ­Chester in only his second outing, needs supplementing for £85,000 on Monday.

Rumours over the weekend suggested that the “Lads”, as O’Brien collectively refers to Messrs ­Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, wanted to drop Sir Dragonet down to a mile and a quarter in the French Derby at Chantilly a day later. O’Brien said: “If I had to bet on it I think the Lads would prefer he went to Epsom,” said O’Brien, who looks likely to run seven in the race. If you asked the trainer what his best chance of winning this year’s Derby is, his reply would give equal mention to six others but, reading between the lines, he appears to speak of Sir Dragonet as his No 1.

“The only two times we’ve asked him anything have been in his two races,” he said. “We took him to Tipperary first time out because we had to get him out. He has worked lovely since. He has that class.”

However, O’Brien pointed out that he had approached the trials differently this year, which might ultimately complicate things for punters. “We’ve been easier on them for the trials. Before we had them fit for the trials and some of them went backwards. This time we ran them in a way we thought they would come forward.”

Apart from Mohawk, who will go to France, O’Brien expects Circus Maximus, Norway, Anthony Van Dyck, Cape of Good Hope, Broome and Japan all to improve by a week on Saturday.

The shape of this year’s Derby will become much clearer on Monday. Hughie Morrison will wait until “11.59” before deciding whether to supplement last week’s improving Dante Stakes winner, Telecaster. “We are no further forward [with the decision] than we were at York,” said the East Ilsley trainer. “It is only 16 days [between races] and there are other options. One has to be realistic about a recovery. Sometime the adrenalin does not leave their system for five or six days.”

With Too Darn Hot out of the Derby and possibly making a surprisingly quick reappearance at The Curragh in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday after coming out of the Dante “fresh”, Frankie Dettori’s Derby mount will be John Gosden’s Private Secretary, the ready winner of a Sandown handicap over a mile and a quarter last time.

“He is rated 92 so he has got to find 20lbs to be competitive in the Derby,” said Dettori. “But you have to listen to John.”