Ballydoyle's Kilimanjaro lands Derby Trial Kilimanjaro wore down the long-time leader Magic Dancer to strike for the Aidan O'Brien team in the betfred.com Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield. Ryan Moore had to work hard on the quirky son of High Chaparral to get on top in the closing stages, and it was only in the final strides that Kilimanjaro (5-1) asserted to take this Listed race by a length and a quarter. Christophermarlowe, the 2-5 favourite and wearing the same colours as the winner, flattered to deceive as his challenge petered out, and he could finish only third. Paul Smith, for the winning Coolmore owners, said: "That was really good. He's progressing all the time. He settled beautifully and he is learning the job quite quickly. "When he hit the front he had a little look around. He's got a very nice attitude and I suppose he's in the Derby picture now. He's a trier, which is important." Moore added: "He's done it nicely and we just took our time. I settled him out the back. He had a lot to do turning for home, but he steadily picked up and he was a bit idle when he got to the front. "He only won a maiden a couple of weeks ago and it's all happening quite fast for him. He's a nice, progressive colt and he's improving in leaps and bounds. "To make up that ground in the straight at Lingfield, it's not an easy place to do that." John Gosden, trainer of Christophermarlowe, said: "He was never going on the ground. As he's by Tapit he wants it fast and the ground was too dead for him today."
