Stone Age was a resounding winner of the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, prompting bookmakers to make him the new favourite for next month's Cazoo Derby.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien had sent out Derby trial winners at Chester and Lingfield earlier in the week but may just have saved the best for last as Galileo colt Stone Age powered home in Sunday's 10-furlong Group Three.
Sent straight to the front from the outset by jockey Ryan Moore, the well-backed 10/11 favourite kept pouring it on at the head of affairs and was kept up to his work to ultimately pass the post with five and a half lengths in hand over 18/1 chance Glory Daze.
Available at 14/1 for the Cazoo Derby at the start of the day, momentum for Stone Age gathered apace once O'Brien ruled Luxembourg out of the Epsom Classic, while immediate reaction saw the wide-margin winner cut to 4/1 by Sky Bet with Betfair and Paddy Power both going 3/1 from 10/1.
Betfair spokesperson Barry Orr said: "On the day it was announced that Luxembourg will miss Epsom, another of his stable companions shot to the head of the betting with a dominant display in the Leopardstown Derby Trial.
"Stone Age is now 3/1 favourite from 10/1 and furthers tightens Aidan O’Brien's grip on the Derby."
O’Brien, who was winning the race for the 15th time with subsequent Epsom heroes Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002) both claiming this prize on their way to Epsom glory, said: "He’s lovely, he’s a high cruiser, he’s tactical and he keeps going – he keeps pushing it out.
“He came forward lovely and we thought he’d come forward a bit more from today. The plan was to give him two runs and because he was a maiden he started in Navan and then came here.
“We always felt he was very good and we weren’t really worrying about winning a maiden (last year).
“He ran over seven furlongs in a Group One – he’s a high-tempo horse.”
The Ballydoyle handler does not expect the demands of Epsom or the step up to a mile and a half to trouble Stone Age.
He added: “We didn’t think it (Epsom) would be a problem. His two runs this year were left-handed. He usually steps quick out of the gate, he’s a high cruiser and he’s very happy to get a lead, which he was going to do today if someone was going to take him.
“He has that class, he’s able to pick up and then he pushes it out all the way to the line. He never looks, in any of his races, to be getting weak at the line.
“He’s a big hardy horse, he’s not a wimp now."
When asked about assessing the pecking order of his Derby trial winners, he said: “It’s impossible really. They were running in their trials individually to see what was going to happen.
“Because all the races were at different times they were all on different work schedules. Ryan will talk to the lads (owners) and hopefully they’ll come up with a solution to the whole thing. That’s usually what happens.
“You’d have to be very happy, any of the ones that had two runs they came forward from their first to their second. We thought this fella would come forward again.
“This horse has plenty of pace. Every day he has run he’s always going to the line. He never seems to be stopping, he keeps pushing it out to the line.”
Moore added: “We’ve always liked this horse and he was very impressive at Navan. I think today’s trial was a good race and I think he will improve again, so he is a very exciting colt.
“I wasn’t surprised how well he won. He gave me a very good feel at Navan and also gave me a good feel as a two year old. He ran over seven in the Lagardere on bad ground last year and wasn’t beaten far. He wouldn’t have been seen to best effect in those conditions but he’s always shown us plenty.
“He is growing up. Last year, he tried to jump the whole of the road here and today he still had a bit of a look, so he is still learning.
“We’ll take him to Epsom and find out if he handles it. I’d say this stacks up against the other Derby trials and I am very happy with what he's done today.”
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