Aidan O'Brien's three-year-old colts to follow in 2025

Aidan O'Brien is always the trainer to watch, with the Ballydoyle supremo housing a galaxy of stars at his Ballydoyle base, but even by his own high standards, this year could see him with a vintage crop of three-year-olds.

Having just won some of the key Derby Trials across Britain and Ireland — and still with one major bullet in the chamber for York on Thursday — we're assessing some of O'Brien's leading Classic-generation colts for 2025.

Delacroix

A Dubawi colt, Delacroix posted figures of 12121 in his juvenile season, including the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket over a mile and a nose-second behind Hotazhell in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster in his final two outings.

He won the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his comeback, a race that is working out incredibly well with form boosted by the likes of Lambourn and Puppet Master winning Derby trials in Britain — more on them below.

Delacroix did his own favour for that form by returning to the Foxrock venue on Sunday and storming to a comprehensive win in their Derby Trial, and he now looks like a tailor-made Epsom contender.

Henri Matisse

A son of Wootton Basset, Henri Matisse beat the aforementioned Hotazhell in a Curragh Group 2 last summer and went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar with a convincing turn of foot.

A Group 3 win at Leopardstown over 7f launched his three-year-old term in March, getting up close home under Ryan Moore, and he has now added the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp by defeating Jonquil from the Andrew Balding string.

The St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June looks a logical target next for this cracking miler.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro was a slow burner last season. He was third behind Field Of Gold in a Newmarket maiden in July and then landed a €163,800 pot in France on Arc weekend.

He went to the continent once more for his final run, chasing home stablemate Twain in the Criterium International over a mile at Saint-Cloud.

That rival hasn't been seen since, contributing to his omission from this list, but he could be a star before long. Mount Kilimanjaro, meanwhile, is fresh off winning the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester over 1m2½f, and the Siyouni colt is clutching a host of Group 1 entries.

Lambourn

Also on the ball at Chester's May Festival was Lambourn, the Australia colt that made it 3-5 in his career by winning the Chester Vase over 1m4½f on the Roodee.

He was the closest pursuer of Delacroix in that Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown and he was strong through the line at Chester. Whether he is up to winning the Epsom Derby will remain to be seen, but he looks to have plenty of stamina and the St Leger at Doncaster later in the season could pique his interest.

Puppet Master

After his big week at Chester, O'Brien targeted the Lingfield Derby Trial with Puppet Master and Stay True. They pulled clear of the field and while both still looked at times to be learning on the job, Ryan Moore's partner won on the nod from Richard Kingscote's willing runner up in the latest boost to that Ballysax Stakes form.

Puppet Master holds entries in both the English and Irish Derby's next month and contributes to an abundance of riches for the Coolmore team, along with Stay True — who was having just his second ever run at Lingfield and should have learned plenty.

The Lion In Winter

Twain is one we're waiting patiently to see but it looks like The Lion In Winter will now make his reappearance in the Dante at York this week after he was declared on Tuesday morning.

Two-from-two last season, he put up a record-breaking effort in the Acomb Stakes at York when last spotted, with the likes of Wimbledon Hawkeye and this month's 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court powerless behind him.

He's clearly very exciting, his trainer rates him highly and while a minor setback denied him a Guineas run at Newmarket, their loss looks to be York's gain.