Epsom has never seen anything like it. Aidan O'Brien, the 28year-old Co Tipperary-based training prodigy, first visited the famous classic track only last week when he walked the course but his first runner, Shahtoush, won yesterday's Vodafone Oaks and now O'Brien is on the verge of a historic double in today's Derby.
With prize-money of £1,043,000, today's Derby is the richest race ever run in Britain and the majority of it is in O'Brien's sights as he tries to emulate the 1985 achievement of Henry Cecil who won both the Oaks and the Derby with Oh So Sharp and Slip Anchor.
O'Brien brings three colts from his Cashel base as he attempts to win the world's most famous classic at the first attempt. They include the 2,000 Guineas winner King Of Kings and Second Empire, the choice of Michael Kinane, who is challenging the Newmarket-trained Greek Dance and Sheikh Mohammed's filly Cape Verdi for favouritism.
Along with Saratoga Springs, they give O'Brien, Coolmore supremo John Magnier and Monte Carlo-based Michael Tabor a strong hand, so strong that Paddy Power offer 50 to 1 against them finishing first, second and third.
After Shahtoush's surprise 12 to 1 victory yesterday, there will probably be takers. Shahtoush had been well beaten in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but under a patient ride from Michael Kinane, the filly turned that form right around and beat Bahr by three parts of a length with the Irish Guineas winner Tarascon only sixth.
"It's all been said before about Aidan. He is just superb," said Shahtoush's part owner David Nagle while John Magnier agreed and added: "What endears Aidan to everybody is that his head is still the same size even after all his success and I know it will never change."
Magnier also explained why the three colts are running in the Derby by saying: "They've never worked together and it's better that they take each other on for prize-money and stallion value rather than for nothing at home. It's not a scatter gun approach."
O'Brien was making no such scatter gun predictions either, no surprise considering the stamina doubts of both Second Empire and King Of Kings over the mile and a half.
"There has to be doubts about them trip-wise because they have so much natural speed. King Of King's pedigree, on his dam's side, is all speed. Second Empire's pedigree has more stamina but he's a very strong horse and I just hope he settles. Saratoga Springs is lazy which helps him to stay." O'Brien said before adding: "They are all very well and there's only one Derby."
The other Irish challenger is the 300 to 1 outsider Sunshine Street, but he will not be in limelight nearly as much as Cape Verdi, who won the 1,000 Guineas and is trying to become only the seventh female Derby winner.
In a race which will turn over £50 million for the bookmakers, the Walter Swinburn-ridden Greek Dance is all the rage with Corals cutting him yesterday to 3 to 1 favourite. Swinburn, who won the Derby as 19-year-old on Shergar, has made a successful return from injury and weight problems and would be a popular winner.
If Greek Dance allows him to do that, it will not only be a popular success but a worthy one.
