Aidan O'Brien says his 'chilled and relaxed' Derby favourite has all the tools for Epsom test

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Betfred Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard is likely to be seen twice in Ireland before he tackles Epsom where Aidan O'Brien is confident his "chilled and relaxed" nature will mean he copes with the mile-and-a-half test.

The son of Camelot landed his maiden at Dundalk in August and impressed when beating stablemate Endorsement in the Zetland Stakes at Newmarket in October, before finishing off the campaign with another smart victory in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Like Delacroix last season, Pierre Bonnard could appear twice at Leopardstown in the Ballysax and Derby Trial before heading to Epsom on June 6.

He is a best-priced 6-1 favourite to give Ballydoyle a fourth successive win in the Classic in a market dominated by the Tipperary stable after a spectacular campaign with its juveniles last season.

The first nine in the betting with all bookmakers are trained by O'Brien.

The champion trainer said: "Pierre Bonnard is being trained for Epsom and might have the two Irish trials before it. He's a big Camelot, very straightforward, very chilled and relaxed. Christophe [Soumillon] was always super impressed by him. Ryan [Moore] rode him for the first time yesterday [Sunday] morning.

"We ran him at Leopardstown first time and then at Dundalk. I wasn't sure about the ground but Wayne [Lordan] said he loved it. So that means he handles fast ground and you'd imagine he'd get a mile and a half well, because he's so relaxed. He's a very big, rangy horse."

Hawk Mountain wins the William Hill Futurity Stakes

Hawk Mountain: Group 1-winning juvenile could go to the French DerbyCredit: John Grossick Racing

Hawk Mountain and Benvenuto Cellini at 12-1 and 14-1 are closest to him in the betting after they finished first and third in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on their last outing. However, Hawk Mountain could be destined for the French Derby.

O'Brien said: “Hawk Mountain will be trained for Epsom or France. If some of the other horses go to Epsom he’d be a possible to go to France as he’d be very comfortable at a mile and a quarter. He’ll run in a trial first.

"Benvenuto Cellini looks like an Epsom horse. He's a great mover and has done very well."

Of the older Ballydoyle horses, Scandinavia will attempt to emulate the retired Kyprios by taking the Vintage Crop and Saval Beg en route to the Ascot Gold Cup, while dual Derby winner Lambourn is being pointed back at Epsom for the Coronation Cup.

After enjoying a tremendous campaign last season with wins in the Cheshire, Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks before finishing second in the Arc, Minnie Hauk is being geared towards the Tattersalls Gold Cup as her first Group 1 assignment of the year.

Ryan Moore riding Charles Darwin wins the Norfolk Stakes

Charles Darwin: set for Royal Ascot returnCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

O'Brien also revealed that exciting three-year-old Charles Darwin will have the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot as his big early-season target. He has not been seen since bolting up in the Norfolk Stakes at last year's meeting.

O'Brien said: "We're going to train Lambourn for the Coronation and give him a run before. That could be in the Mooresbridge. Minnie Hauk could go there too on the way to the Tattersalls Gold Cup, and then she could go to Ascot for the Prince of Wales's Stakes. But she'd have the Coronation as a possible too.

"Maybe with the benefit of hindsight, we should have finished with her after the Arc last year as she was only a three-year-old filly. She's twice as wide this year and is ticking along great. We're not rushing her but everything she's doing is lovely.

"Scandinavia is a big, long-striding horse and we're very happy with everything he's doing. I'd imagine he probably won't go to Dubai, so he'll probably go the Saval Beg, Vintage Crop route. Jan Brueghel could go back to the Coronation and have a run beforehand.

"Charles Darwin could be a very good sprinter. He'll go the three-year-old sprinter route on the way to the Commonwealth. He's a big block of a horse."

Aidan O'Brien is sending his 2,000 Guineas contenders straight to Newmarket - but is that a positive or negative for their chances?

'It's very hard not to have an each-way bet on him' - Aidan O'Brien reveals his Derby dark horse

Will he stay the trip? Guineas contender’s pedigree could help with a conundrum for Einstein