AIDAN O’BRIEN looks to hold all the aces in tomorrow’s Investec Derby at Epsom, while Sir Michael Stoute is hoping inexperience doesn’t scupper Workforce’s bid for glory
O’Brien has not won the race since scoring back-to-back victories with Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002).
He is just even money with totesport to win the blue riband as he currently has two of the first three in the betting among his three entries.
Jan Vermeer, who was an impressive winner of the Gallinule Stakes, is currently a best-priced 9-4 with Blue Square and Sportingbet for the colts’ Classic, while Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Midas Touch is a 13-2 chance with bet365, Skybet and Sporingbet. O’Brien’s third runner is likely pacemaker and 200-1 outsider At First Sight.
Totesport spokesman George Primarolo said: “Jan Vermeer has been the best-backed horse bar none in the Derby market over the past week or so, but it could just be that punters think the value has dried up as we are beginning to see quite a bit of support for those just behind him. Midas Touch has been the one punters have wanted to be with and he is now 11-2 from 6-1.”
Workforce – a general 5-1 second favourite with most firms – appears the biggest danger to O’Brien’s hopes of victory.
Although Stoute – who has won the Derby four times with Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003) and North Light (2004) – believes Workforce may lack the experience to make it five.
The King’s Best colt has only run twice – his last being when second to O’Brien’s French Derby hope Cape Blanco in the Dante Stakes at York last month. Stoute deliberately took him took him to Lingfield – a similar track to Epsom – to try and give him more experience. The trainer said: “I took him to Lingfield for him to accelerate down the hill on a left-handed turn as he got the bit through his mouth at York. I think that was a one-off, we will be able to eliminate that sort of thing. He has sharpened up from his Dante race as one would expect. I’m just disappointed we didn’t get two races into him.
“That was the original plan but in the spring he had a dirty scope and he wasn’t really thriving with the weather we were having. He’s a bit short on experience.
“At Epsom they have to be sharp mentally, they have to go for the openings when they are available, but the good thing is there are only 12 runners and not 24. That’s a help”
EPSOM (TOMORROW): 1.40pm Docto Zhivago 2.10pm Premier Clarets 2.40pm Reggane 3.15pm Rocket Rob 4pm (Investec Derby) 1 MIDAS TOUCH (NAP) 2 Jan Vermeer 3 Workforce 4.45pm Seeking The Buck 5.20pm Red Cape.
