It wasn’t spectacular and didn’t impress everyone, but Battle Of Marengo’s PW McGrath Ballysax Stakes victory yesterday could yet prove significant come the first Saturday in June at Epsom.

The composition of Aidan O’Brien’s Derby squad remains fluid, with the champion trainer admitting he is “fighting time” to get Kingsbarns ready.

Instead, the once-raced Mars has become a Ballydoyle “buzz” horse on the back of some impressive workouts.

It was the less heralded but more accomplished Battle Of Marengo that staked a concrete claim to becoming perhaps the premier O’Brien Derby candidate this season.

But the bare form of beating Sugar Boy by less than two lengths may not be earth-shattering and some bookmakers left the son of Galileo unchanged for Epsom at 12 to 1.

Battle Of Marengo conceded weight, coped with very soft ground and there was plenty to like about the resolution he showed in facing a strong headwind for much of the straight.

'Beautiful mover'
Also significant was O'Brien's assertion that the Derrinstown Trial back here will be next: the Leopardstown route was good enough for Galileo and High Chaparral and is traditionally the Ballydoyle route to Epsom for their big guns.

“You couldn’t ask him to do more than that on that ground. It’s heavy going out there. He’s a beautiful mover and has to prefer it better,” said O’Brien after son Joseph guided home the trainer’s seventh Ballysax winner.

After a slow start, Dermot Weld’s powerful string are hitting form, something emphasised by Rawaaq’s defeat of What Style and Snow Queen in the Group Three 1,000 Guineas Trial.

With the favourite, Hint Of A Tint, failing to pick up, Rawaaq ran down What Style and will return for another trial at Leopardstown in a few weeks.