Change of plan for Derby favourite as Aidan O'Brien eyes another stunning Chester-Epsom double

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Aidan O'Brien successfully prepped his Betfred Derby and Oaks winners at Chester's May meeting last year and the master Ballydoyle trainer is set to target the track again with two of his leading Epsom Classic contenders Benvenuto Cellini and Amelia Earhart.

O'Brien has always been fond of testing his top three-year-olds in the Chester trials and he is also planning to send star four-year-old Minnie Hauk to Chester for her seasonal debut in the Huxley Stakes.

• Watch: Benvenuto Cellini in his stable at Ballydoyle

Last year, Lambourn won the Chester Vase en route to Derby glory and Minnie Hauk took the Cheshire Oaks before becoming a dual Oaks heroine for O'Brien, who has been forced to rethink plans for Benvenuto Cellini after Epsom's opening fixture of the season was rescheduled for next week due to a watering system issue. 

"He was going to Epsom for the Blue Riband Trial, but it's been put back a week now so we might go for the Chester Vase [on May 6] on the way to Epsom," said O'Brien.

"He's a lovely, slick-moving horse who was third in the Futurity at Doncaster and he's done well physically. While he'll improve, we're happy to start there."

Benvenuto Cellini is a best-priced 6-1 to give Ballydoyle another Derby success at Epsom on June 6, having taken over as favourite from stablemate Pierre Bonnard following his comeback seventh in this month's Ballysax.

O'Brien dominates the Derby market with the first seven in the betting and has proved hard to stop in the Chester Vase, winning 11 runnings since his first victory in 2007. Ruler Of The World (2013) is his other Vase winner to follow up in the Classic at Epsom, while Wings Of Eagles finished second in the Chester trial before running out a shock 40-1 Derby winner in 2017.

Amelia Earhart: second favourite for the OaksCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Trialling at Chester is also on the agenda for Amelia Earhart, who is a general 8-1 second favourite for the Oaks behind last Friday's impressive Newbury debut winner I'm The One.

Speaking at a press morning for Chester's three-day meeting next month, O'Brien said of Amelia Earhart: "We thought the world of her last year. She's strange, she's a bit quirky and kinky and took a while to get it together. She swerved a few times when she went to the front, but we think she's a very high-class filly. 

"She'll start in the Cheshire Oaks and maybe go to Epsom after that. She's a big, powerful mare. We've worked her in a hood and decided to take the hood off today and work her in blinkers."

Minnie Hauk, who also won the Yorkshire Oaks last season before finishing second in the Arc, could make her reappearance in the Huxley on May 8 before stepping back up to Group 1 level.

Arc runner-up Minnie Hauk could be back in action at ChesterCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Brien said: "She needs to have a run around that time and she’s definitely in contention for the Huxley. There’s the Mooresbridge as well but she'd carry a penalty in that, whereas she won’t at Chester. 

"The plan is to go for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and she needs to start somewhere. It's a great place to wake them up and get an edge on them. Usually the ground is perfect and they come out the races very well. There's a great atmosphere there, which horses really benefit from.

"After the Tattersalls Gold Cup there's the Prince of Wales's, then it's whether we go to the King George or we do an Arc prep. You'd think we'd go back there [to Longchamp] but there's a long way to the Arc.

"She's super. Physically, she's done great and really changed from three to four and we couldn't be happier."

• Watch: Aidan O'Brien watches over his string

Jan Brueghel is also on the teamsheet for Chester with the Ormonde Stakes a possible stepping stone towards defending his title in the £1 million Coolmore Coronation Cup. "His plan is to go back to the Coronation and the Ormonde might suit as a perfect prep for that, which we did with St Nicholas Abbey [in 2011]," O'Brien said.

"I'm seeing him as a mile-and-a-half horse. We know he might go further but the plan with him and Lambourn, who could go to the Mooresbridge, is to go for the Coronation."

• Watch: a string at Ballydoyle head out

O'Brien earmarked Italy and Constitution River for the Dee Stakes at Chester, while Ballysax winner Christmas Day could go for the Dante Stakes at York. With Benvenuto Cellini looking like being saved for Chester, Action is set represent the stable in Friday's Classic Trial at Sandown.

Following a new collaboration between Chester and the New York Racing Association, the winner of Ormonde is guaranteed entry and travel incentives for the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup, worth $250,000, with the same agreement in place for the Huxley Stakes and the $1 million Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes.

"Those are always great initiatives and they do make people do things," O'Brien added. "Chester would suit well with the American tracks as well because it's sharp, left-handed and usually nice ground. At the end of the day, one thing that makes everyone travel is prize-money." 

Betfred Derby (3.30 Epsom, June 6)
Betfred: 6 Benvenuto Cellini, Pierre Bonnard, 10 Hawk Mountain, 12 Christmas Day, Montreal, 14 Action, 16 bar.

Betfred Oaks (4.00 Epsom, June 5)
Betfred: 4 I'm The One, 8 Abashiri, Amelia Earhart, Gilded Prize, Precise, 12 Diamond Necklace, 16 bar.

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Aidan O'Brien 'not given up on a mile' with Albert Einstein yet - but door open for sprinting switch after Newbury third 

First Derby twist as winter favourite Pierre Bonnard well beaten behind stablemate - but Aidan O'Brien retaining faith 

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