By Brian Sheerin
Aidan O'Brien has supplemented Cazoo Oaks winner Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday.
Tuesday will be ridden by Ryan Moore as she bids to become the third horse to win the Oaks and the Irish Derby, following on from Salsabil (GB) (Sadler's Wells) in 1990 and Balanchine (Storm Bird {Can}) four years later.
O'Brien, a record-breaking 14-time winner of the Irish Derby, has also left Anchorage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Temple Of Artemis (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the race and, speaking to TDN Europe, revealed that Tuesday has improved again since Epsom.
He said, “From the very start of the year, Tuesday has progressed with every week. Saying it is one thing but doing it is another and she seems to be still progressing, which is unbelievable. She came out of the Oaks well and we're very happy with her. She's improving all the time.”
O'Brien added, “We've left in a few others–Anchorage, Changingoftheguard, Stone Age and Temple Of Artemis–and they are all possibles but by no means definites.”
Derby third Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), trained by Ralph Beckett, heads the market at odds of 11-8 and will be partnered by the three-times Irish champion jockey Colin Keane, who takes over from Rob Hornby. The British-trained challenge also includes David Menuisier's Lionel (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
Donnacha and Joseph O'Brien are well represented, with Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) set to run for the younger sibling and Hannibal Barca (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), winner of the G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule S. at the Curragh on his first start in Ireland last month, Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Vega Magnifico (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) possible runners for his brother.
Paddy Twomey's French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}) remains in contention along with Jim Bolger's Boundless Ocean (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Manu Et Corde (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the Dermot Weld-trained Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Andy Oliver's Glory Daze (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}).
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