Aidan O'Brien: no Sir Dragonet Derby decision but Vase winner is very exciting

A decision on whether Wednesday's impressive Chester Vase winner Sir Dragonet will be supplemented for the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 1 has yet to be made trainer Aidan O'Brien said on Thursday, when the trainer outlined just how excited he is by the son of Camelot.

Sir Dragonet burst on to the scene when scoring at 14-1 in a Tipperary maiden on his debut last month before storming to an eight-length success in the Chester Vase, a race Ruler Of The World and Wings Of Eagles prepped in on their way to Classic glory at Epsom.

The three-year-old now heads the Derby betting at a general 4-1, but owners John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor will need to pay £85,000 to add him to the field.

O'Brien, who won the Dee Stakes with Circus Maximus at Chester on Thursday, said: "Sir Dragonet is an unbelievably well-bred horse – his granddam is Urban Sea.

"He had a little setback at two and we had to be very gentle with him. We minded him for as long as we could before he went to Tipperary, where he won his maiden on the bridle – for a horse to do that he had to be very smart."

Aidan O'Brien's six Derby winners

2001 Galileo
2002 High Chaparral
2012 Camelot
2013 Ruler Of The World
2014 Australia
2017 Wings Of Eagles

O'Brien, who has trained six Derby winners, added: "Coming to Chester after just one run can be tricky, but Donnacha said he was green but got him together at halfway and then it was comfortable. He's very exciting to do that after just two visits to the track."

The ground at Chester was good to soft on Wednesday and yielding to soft when Sir Dragonet made his debut at Tipperary, but O'Brien doesn't think he is ground dependent. He said: "I don't think he needs soft ground, it's just been soft on the two occasions he's run. He's well balanced and has a massive engine."

Asked whether the potential star would be supplemented for the Derby, O'Brien, who has a host of options for the Epsom showpiece, said: "The lads [owners] will think about what they want to do and make the plan."

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