Irish Derby Outline: Aidan O'Brien was the first to show his Irish Derby cards yesterday when he nominated The Great Gatsby as his number one contender for the Curragh in three weeks' time.
Dismissed as a 20 to 1 outsider at the weekend, The Great Gatsby emerged as best of the Ballydoyle quartet in the Epsom Derby behind Kris Kin.
The winner hasn't an Irish Derby entry and a decision about supplementing Kris Kin into the race has yet to be taken. There is also uncertainty about whether or not the French Derby winner, Dalakhani, will travel.
However, O'Brien has quickly made his intentions clear and added: "We could also run Powerscourt and Chevalier in the race but we will give Brian Boru some time off after his run at Epsom."
O'Brien reported: "In an ideal world Brian Boru would have had a better preparation. It was all a big shock to him and that run was too bad to be true.
"Balestrini ran a great race but the mile and a half might have been a bit too far. We may drop him back to a mile and a quarter, although I have nothing specific in mind for him.
"We might drop Alberto Giacometti right back because he showed a lot of pace. He travelled like a dream into the straight."
John Oxx said Alamshar emerged unscathed after his third placing to Kris Kin and the Curragh trainer is keen to have a crack at the Irish Derby. However, a lot will depend on where the brilliant Dalkhani, also owned by the Aga Khan, is targeted next.
"Dalakhani is a likely runner and things will have to be discussed with his highness. One or both could run but it will depend on factors like the ground and the final declarations," he said.
"We rode Alamshar to get the trip and weren't particularly positive on him. But we know he stays now and he will improve.
"It was all a new experience and he was a little green in amongst them. He and the winner were exactly the same all the way up the straight but the winner got a good break between horses and got a length," Oxx added.
However, the Irish Derby is very much off Refuse To Bend's agenda and instead Saturday's big race favourite will be pointed towards the Breeders' Cup Mile.
"It was obvious he didn't stay but he will come back stronger and better than ever," Dermot Weld said yesterday.
"We'll give him a nice break and bring him back in the autumn, either for the Prix Jacques Le Marois or the Prix du Moulin, or both. But his final objective will be the Breeders' Cup Mile in California."
Yesterday's Gallinule Stakes was something of an Irish Derby trial for the O'Brien-trained Handel but the classic could be off the agenda after he failed by three lengths to the English raider Nysaean.
"It may come a bit quick for him but he is making improvement," acknowledged O'Brien.
The four-year-old Nysaean will be kept to 10 furlongs and Richard Hannon Jnr said: "He is the best in our yard and it was a better performance than when he won the Mooresbridge."
John Murtagh recovered from his Epsom disappointment with a treble on the Oxx-trained pair Amandian and Icklingham and the David Broad-trained Woodstamp.
