Aidan O'Brien Eyes Another Irish Derby Victory With Five Contenders Aidan O'Brien has won the Irish Derby an incredible 16 times, including the last two, and is set to play a strong hand again this year. The Ballydoyle supremo accounts for five of the 10 possible remaining contenders and chief amongst them is Epsom scorer Lambourn, who could become the 20th winner of the English/Irish Derby double. O'Brien has saddled at least one runner every year since 1996 and only once has he not had a top-three finisher, in 2022, when his sole runner, the filly Tuesday, finished fourth. He has saddled the first three home in the Irish Derby on eight separate occasions and below we are taking a look at his 2025 Irish Derby contenders. BoyleSports Betting Offer If you already have a BoyleSports account, check out more of the best betting sites and online casinos Lambourn A son of the 2013 Epsom and Curragh winner, Australia, he matched his sire by dominating the English Classic three weeks ago under Wayne Lordan. They were allowed to control the race from the front and some of their re-opposing rivals may opt to deny them that freedom now. Stamina appears a forte and he is once more likely to be ridden prominently. Since 1988 a total of 16 Epsom Derby winners have lined up at the Curragh and 11 have pulled off the double. Lambourn finished last of five in the Beresford Stakes on his only other Curragh start. Puppet Master Winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial, he only just scrambled home from stablemate Stay True and perhaps didn't handle the track well. The undulations of Epsom were avoided and he was a last-minute absentee last week from the 'Royal Ascot Derby' - the King Edward VII Stakes. The Camelot colt has never raced at the Curragh before and, on paper, needs a jolt forward to win this race. Serious Contender A son of Wootton Bassett, he stepped up on his previous best - a Leopardstown handicap win over 1m2f off a mark of 85 in March - when finishing second behind Merchant in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. That was a fine effort, but it came off a mark of 92 and that falls a long way short of what is normally demanded in this race. He has never raced in Group company and that is another mark down on his hopes. Shackleton Another by Camelot, he too raced at Royal Ascot last week. He was only fourth in the Group 2 Queen's Vase over 1m6f that afternoon having started at odds of 9/2 in an open race and forced much of the running under Ryan Moore only to fade late on. He was beaten behind stablemate Thrice at this track over 1m2f in a Group 3 in May, though he does at least boast a trio of starts in Group-race company, albeit his only win to date came in a maiden at this track last September. Thrice Wootton Bassett colt was some 15 lengths and change behind Lambourn in the Chester Vase last month and will have to make that ground up on the subsequent Derby winner now. He did step up on his next start, landing the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes here over 1m2f from Emit and Reyenzi in a frantic finish. That was a career best, but much more is needed now given the calibre of opposition he faces. Verdict LAMBOURN is well clear of his four Ballydoyle stablemates on ratings and should be the leading contender for O'Brien in his quest for yet another Irish Derby. His rating of 120 is the same as Epsom winners Ruler Of The World and Wings Of Eagles, who were both beaten in this race, while it also comes in lower than the O'Brien-trained Derby double winners. He may well master his stablemates, but Lambourn probably has to improve again to hold up form with the horses he beat at Epsom, while the likes of Green Impact could have plenty to offer too.
