New Favourite for Epsom Derby

Aiden O'Brien's 3YO colt Bolshoi Ballet (Galileo-Alta Anna, by Anabaa) made easy work of the Gr3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial over the weekend – winning by 6-lenghths – and has been installed as a 7-4 favourite for the Gr1 Epsom Derby, reports racingpost.com. Bolshoi Ballet hopes to follow both Galileo (Sadler's Wells-Urban Sea, by Miswaki) and High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells-Kasora, by Darshaan) as winners of the Ballysax and the Derrinstown who went on to win the Derby. "He's coming on lovely and we're very happy with him. We've always loved him and thought a lot of him. we couldn't have asked for any more from him," said O'Brien. "He's uncomplicated – he relaxes and he quickens. He was pencilled in for the two runs – the Ballysax and the Derrinstown – and then on to the Derby. He travelled to France last year in ground that we knew he wouldn't like but we wanted to travel him for experience." Third on debut as a 2YO, Bolshoi Ballet won a maiden 2YO over 1600m at his next start before heading to France for the Gr1 Saint-Cloud Criterium de Saint-Cloud, where he ran fifth. So far at 3, he's now won both his starts; the Gr3 Ballysax over 2000m and the Gr3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial over 2000m.