The Classic trials are going to come thick and fast over the next couple of weeks with the
Vase part of the Derby jigsaw falling into place on Wednesday.
Aidan O’Brien has scooped the spoils a record ten times and several of his winners have gone to run well at Epsom, without quite hitting the jackpot.
And then, of course, there was Wings of Eagles. He was runner-up in the 2017 edition before going one better in the Derby for Team Ballydoyle at 40-1.
O’Brien is represented by
and
Thrice on this occasion. He’s been out of luck in the past two renewals but, since 2007, he’s never gone three successive years without picking up the prize.
Here’s a guide to all the runners.
Where should you or someone you know go if you need support? To find out more . 1 CONVERGENT
Draw: 3. Official Rating: 94. Odds: 4-1.
Karl Burke tells us more about Convergent
Jumps in class after winning minor events at Redcar six months apart. He’s unproven beyond ten furlongs and is not entered in the Derby, but there’s stamina on the dam’s side of his breeding, albeit his brother, Molten Rock, has shown his best form at up to 1m 2f. It’s not easy to gauge what he’s achieved, but if this was a handicap he would be getting weight from several of his rivals.
2 FAIRE LA NOUBA
Draw: 6. Official Rating: 49. Odds: 300-1.
This Irish raider is an ambitious runner, to say the least. His form at up to a mile in six starts is summed up by his lowly rating, while his trainer has yet to have a winner on the Flat (45 runners and counting) and only 3-101 with his runners under Rules over Jumps. Could get lapped.
3 FURTHER
Draw: 8. Official Rating: 87. Odds: 14-1.
Offered little on his Newmarket debut last autumn but showed more the next time at Newbury and built on that when winning on his reappearance at the latter track over 1m3f last month. He did get the run of things to an extent that day and the form is nothing to get too excited about, but there should be more to come, as you would expect given his sire and grand dam were both Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners.
4 LAMBOURN
Draw: 7. Official Rating: 103. Odds: 13-8.
He’s the Ballydoyle No 1 with Ryan Moore choosing him in preference to Thrice. There was plenty to like about his comeback second to stablemate Delacroix in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown, as he stuck on well after being tapped for a bit of toe. The extra yardage here seems certain to suit, although the nature of the track is a niggle given that he got a bit outpaced on his return, plus was tried in blinkers in the Beresford last year.
5 LAZY GRIFF
Draw: 4. Official Rating: 101. Odds: 14-1.
Progressed well last season, although there was an element of him grabbing some low-lying fruit when plundering a Group Three prize over 1m1f at Chantilly in September. He does have decent prospects of staying the trip, though, and he generally raced up with the pace as a juvenile, which will not do him any harm here. Whether he’s good enough to keep his rivals at bay is another matter.
6 PINHOLE
Draw: 1. Official Rating: --. Odds: 13-2.
The well-related Frankel colt was raw when making his Newmarket debut in October, when trained by Sir Michael Stoute, and still looked green when scoring over a mile at Southwell in mid-December, having been switched to Ralph Beckett in the interim. He did impress in the final furlong that day and his siblings include Cadogan Place, who has shown himself to be effective over as far as 2m. He’s well drawn and there could be a lot more to come.
7 SQUARE D’ALBONI
Draw: 5. Official Rating: 108. Odds: 4-1.
Ralph Beckett spoke to us after Square D’Alboni had lost his maiden tag at Epsom
Square D’Alboni is not going to be winning the Derby – he was gelded before ever stepping foot on a racecourse – but there’s little doubt he has the potential to make an impact in good company this season. He went from strength-to-strength last year, reeling off successive front-running wins at Epsom, Salisbury and Chantilly at up to nine furlongs. There’s some substance to his form, with the assessor rating him 5lb and more superior to the opposition. The trip is a question mark, although his half-brother, Polanzor, is effective over the trip.
8 THRICE
Draw: 2. Official Rating: 102. Odds: 14-1.
He’s the second string for Aidan O’Brien and must be one of the few from his stable to be equipped with blinkers on his debut. The headgear did not prevent him hanging right and disappointing in a Group Three contest at Leopardstown on his final start over 1m1f last season, having previously won a maiden in emphatic style at Listowel. There’s plenty of stamina on the dam’s side of his pedigree, although his future entries do include the Irish 2000 Guineas.
VERDICT
This is a race that rarely yields a surprise outcome, with eight of the past ten editions won by either the favourite or second favourite. Lambourn and Square D’Alboni head the betting this time, with the latter making most appeal. He thrived on his racing last year, is officially the highest-rated runner in the field and could well get the run of things from the front for an in-form stable. His stablemate, Pinhole, also warrants a second look.
1 Square D’Alboni. 2 Lambourn. 3 Pinhole.
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