O'Brien may go with six

RACING: Aidan O'Brien last night opened up the possibility of running his entire six-strong entry in Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby.

The Ballydoyle trainer has already committed the quartet of Brian Boru, The Great Gatsby, Handel and Powerscourt to the race as he goes in search of a third Derby success in a row.

The remaining entries, Roosevelt and High Country, appeared to have been discounted but that could now change.

"It's not definite but it is possible that we could run the lot of them.

"It's a good race and we will have to wait and see but I would not rule it out," O'Brien said.

The trainer has run four horses in the Derby before but six would have statisticians scratching their heads to find comparable strength in depth from one yard in the Derby.

The Great Gatsby is the shortest priced O'Brien-trained runner in the race but the money with Paddy Power yesterday was for Powerscourt. Just 11 colts remain in the Derby which will have no British-trained runner for the first time since 1976.

Saturday's feature, the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes, has attracted Hanami, Zee Zee Top and Stage Shy from Britain.

Hanami, who finished sixth in the Oaks and fifth in the 1,000 Guineas, represents Whitsbury trainer James Toller who said yesterday: "Hanami is in very good form at present and we are very much looking forward to Saturday."

Tipperary hosts its second meeting in three days and ahead of the Curragh festival there will be plenty of interest in how the O'Brien-trained Day Of The Cat goes in the opening maiden.

The Storm Cat colt was a one-length second to Il Pirata on his Naas debut and with normal improvement should follow in the footsteps of last year's winner, Yesterday.

Kalani Star's fourth on fast ground to Kurbaan should see Seamus Heffernan's mount ahead of Unknown Venture in the seven-furlong maiden and Rackard should also be okay on the going in the bumper.