His brother Donnacha has a shot at Cazoo Derby glory through Piz Badile but it is the Oaks at Epsom that will fill Joseph O'Brien's classic thoughts in the coming days. O'Brien has all but abandoned hopes of having his own Derby contender after Buckaroo disappointed in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the weekend.
The Qatar Racing-owned colt could manage only sixth to Native Trail but emerged in good shape despite sustaining a small cut to a back leg.
"He may have got an overreach but he's fine and may have a bit of time now. We will possibly look at something at Ascot and I think he will almost certainly go 10 [furlongs] the next day. Most likely he won't be going to Epsom but we will see how he is in the next week to 10 days, discuss it with Sheikh Fahad and make a plan from there," O'Brien said on Monday.
The former champion jockey, who turned 29 on Monday, twice won the Derby as a rider, first, a decade ago, with Camelot and two years afterwards on Australia. His brother Donnacha landed the Oaks as a jockey in 2018 on Forever Together but the younger sibling will have his sights on Derby glory as a trainer with Frankie Dettori's mount Piz Badile on Saturday week.
In contrast, Joseph O’Brien failed to land the Oaks as jockey but will try to fill that gap through Tranquil Lady next week. The daughter of Australia is a general 14-1 shot after an impressive success in the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas last time.
“Tranquil Lady will almost certainly go to Epsom all being well. Obviously, you don’t know if she will stay until you go. But she’s by Australia and has shaped like she would go 12 [furlongs]. There’s only one way to find out,” he said.
He has another filly in the Oaks betting, the Chester runner-up Above The Curve, but O'Brien reported: "She has an entry in France, the Prix Alary [this Sunday], and she may go there. I'm not sure about her yet."
His top older star State Of Rest was third to Alenquer in Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup and is likely to appear next at Royal Ascot in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Emily Upjohn dominates the Oaks betting after an impressive Musidora victory at York last time. She got a feel of Epsom's unique gradients on Monday with a workout at the track under Dettori.
"Emily Upjohn is in the Taghrooda [Gosden's 2014 Oaks winner] league as she has the ability to travel and quicken over the trip. She picked up really well between the three and the two today even though they were playing. She will be happy on good ground and can handle quick," John Gosden reported.
Charlie Appleby used the Epsom gallops morning with last year's "Blue Riband" winner Adayar in 2021 and worked both Walk Of Stars and Nahanni this time. Significantly, however, the Godolphin trainer nominated possible supplementary entry Nations Pride as his best chance of a third Derby success.
