AIDAN O’BRIEN will play the numbers game in the Investec Derby at Epsom and his super six could prove too much for his rivals among the 12 entered in the Classic.
The Irish trainer saddles half the field and of his six Black Bear Island makes the most appeal.
In the week when his predecessor at Ballydoyle, the legendary Vincent O’Brien sadly died at the age of 92, it would be fitting if O’Brien could land his third Derby victory.
He certainly has the right ammunition and all six of his Derby hopefuls – Black Bear Island, Fame And Glory, Rip Van Winkle, Age Of Aquarius, Masterofthehorse and Golden Sword – are more than worth their place in the line-up.
They could easily provide him with a clean sweep and the fact there are offers of just 50-1 and 66-1 to train the first five home tells its own story. It may be worth parting with a few pounds of anyone’s money that he does just that.
But of all his entrants, few have better credentials than Black Bear Island.
A full brother to one of O’Brien’s two previous winners, High Chaparral, the Sadler’s Wells colt is certainly bred to win a Classic. And he has been talked about as a Derby winner ever since his maiden win at Naas last August.
His seasonal reappearance is best forgotten as he met trouble in running at Longchamp, although when in the clear he ran on well to finish a close-up third. But he really advertised his Classic claims by landing the most informative trial of recent seasons, the totesport.com Dante Stakes.
