Aidan O’Brien’s 10 Derby dark horses

Aidan O’Brien provided glowing reports on leading three-year-old prospects Little Big Bear and Auguste Rodin after their public workouts at the Curragh over the weekend before unleashing Siyouni colt Paddington to win the valuable Madrid Handicap at Naas, but what else does the master of Ballydoyle have waiting in the wings among his Classic crop for 2023?

Since Camelot won the Derby as an 8/13 shot in 2012, O’Brien has won the Epsom Classic with horses at odds of 7/1, 13/2, 25/1 and 40/1, so when it comes to this race in particular it’s rarely quite as simple as siding with the winter favourite.

Impressive Vertem Futurity Trophy winner August Rodin is that form horse everyone is talking about - but here are 10 later-maturing stablemates who have yet to be tested at pattern level but also hold that all-important entry for the Derby at Epsom on June 3.

Adare Manor (Sire: Camelot)

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Owned by J P McManus and named after the 5-star resort which will play host to the 2027 Ryder Cup, Adare Manor is a fascinating colt - on paper at least. Unraced to this point and only holding entries in the Derby and the Curragh equivalent, he’s a son of Camelot out of a Sea The Stars mare. His racecourse debut is eagerly anticipated.

Alexandroupolis (Camelot)

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Another son of Derby-winning sire Camelot, Alexandroupolis has been the big steamer in the antepost Epsom market in recent weeks (best priced 16/1) so can’t be doing a lot wrong in his homework. He has experience on the track at two, comfortably winning a mile maiden on soft ground at Galway on debut in early-September. Runner-up and stablemate Espionage franked the form with a close second to Proud And Regal in the G1 Criterium International the following month, and there’s clearly a lot to look forward to if he has improved as anticipated over the winter.

Bertinelli (Justify)

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Twice-raced at two, this son of US Triple Crown hero Justify didn’t have to improve from first to second start in order to open his account in a Dundalk maiden during November. He made quite heavy weather of landing skinny odds that day but he’s out of Galileo mare Together Forever (unplaced at 9/1 in the 2015 Oaks) and seems certain to improve for middle-distances as a three-year-old.

Cape Bridgewater (Australia)

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Also made two public appearances as a juvenile, not a lot going right when down the field as 3/1 joint-favourite on his Curragh debut before following home impressive stable companion Londoner when fitted with blinkers for the first time in a Dundalk maiden towards the end of October. He’ll get middle-distances standing on his head this year and could prove to be a quality stayer in time.

Milwaukee (Justify)

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Another son of Justify, Milwaukee has plenty of size and scope and his dam Moth was placed in the 1000 Guineas which bodes well for a Classic campaign. He carried his head a little awkwardly but was doing some decent late work when fourth to stablemate Hippodrome in a nine-furlong Curragh maiden in early-October (replay below). He’s one who could go straight up to 10 furlongs this time around and is expected to appreciate a sound racing surface.

Mohawk Chief (Quality Road)

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By Quality Road, Mohawk Chief’s dam Wedding Vow is a full-sister to Derby winner Serpentine, while her dam Remember When was second to Snow Fairy in the 2010 Oaks, so there’s Epsom Classic form in the pedigree. He fell out of the stalls, ran green and could never get competitive first time out at Listowel on September 20, but showed he was a quick learner when winning an 18-runner Leopardstown maiden (7f) from a prominent position just a month later. He was nothing like the finished article as a juvenile but may show he's improved out of recognition when taking to the track this spring.

CLICK HERE TO BACK MOHAWK CHIEF FOR THE DERBY AT 50/1 WITH SKY BET

Peking Opera (Galileo)

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After a promising debut run behind subsequent Killavullan Stakes third Bold Discovery at Naas, Peking Opera got the better of aforementioned stablemate Bertinelli to break his maiden over the mile at Leopardstown in mid-October. O’Brien won that particular race with some quality operators over the years including Bolshoi Ballet who went off 11/8 favourite for the 2021 Derby after completing the Ballysax/'Derrinstown' double, and Peking Opera returning to Leopardstown for the former looks quite likely.

Prague (Galileo)

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Prague, another son of the mighty Galileo, has yet to grace the track but could do so as early as this Wednesday, when he holds an entry in the 10-furlong Navan maiden won 12 months ago by Stone Age, who promptly followed up in the 'Derrinstown' Derby Trial and went off 7/2 for the Derby.

The Black Tiger (Justify)

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An hour and a half later on Navan, we may see The Black Tiger make his racecourse debut in the mile maiden that closes Wednesday’s card. Another son of Justify and out of a Sadler’s Wells mare who is closely related to 2011 Epsom hero Pour Moi, he’s got entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Irish Derby and frankly could be anything at this stage.

The Prairie (Galileo)

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Entered in the aforementioned 10-furlong Navan maiden this week, along with Cape Bridgewater and Prague, and clearly bred to be top-class being a Galileo colt out of Again who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Sluggish from the start on debut at Killarney (1m) in October, he wasn’t unduly punished on turning into the straight but ran on encouragingly to be beaten fourth lengths in fourth behind stablemate Gulf Of Mexico. His sister Delphinia stayed really well, runner-up in a G1 over 1m6f at three, and there’s lots more to come as he goes up in trip.

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