He's a monster: Aidan O'Brien full of praise for Guineas favourite Saxon Warrior

Classic favourite Saxon Warrior was described as a "big monster" on Wednesday by Aidan O'Brien as the trainer ran the rule over his awesome assembly of firepower.

The British and Irish Flat turf seasons kick off this weekend and no trainer has a more enviable team of horses than the Ballydoyle maestro, who in 2017 set a world record for top-flight wins in a year with 28.

The unbeaten Saxon Warrior contributed to that tally by winning the Racing Post Trophy, and is market leader for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Investec Derby.

“Saxon Warrior was a big two-year-old but he's done very well and has put on plenty of weight," reported O'Brien. "He has become a massive colt, a big monster of a horse.

“We have our eyes on the Guineas and I just hope we have him ready in time. He’s more likely to have a racecourse gallop than a race before we decide about Newmarket.”

O’Brien had many of his Classic contenders on show for the media at Ballydoyle on Wednesday as Horse Racing Ireland launched the 2018 Irish Flat season, which starts at Naas on Sunday.

O'Brien has the first three in the betting for the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas and Derby, and the first two in the Oaks market.

The colts behind Saxon Warrior in the bookmakers' 2,000 Guineas pecking order are Gustav Klimt and US Navy Flag. The latter completed the Middle Park-Dewhurst double last autumn and could return in Leopardstown’s 2,000 Guineas Trial on April 14.

O'Brien said: “We tried US Navy Flag over a mile at the Breeders' Cup but that was on dirt and they went very hard up front.

US Navy Flag: could take his chance in GuineasCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"His work this year suggests he could get the mile. Dropping the Leopardstown trial from a mile to seven furlongs is a brilliant idea as the ground can be quite testing in April, and can be tough on horses. So seven furlongs makes great sense. We’ll see how things go but he could take his chance at Newmarket.

“Gustav Klimt could also start off in the Leopardstown trial. His season ended early after he won the Superlative Stakes – we think it was a muscle behind that troubled him, and we decided to put him away. He's done well.”

Plans for Amedeo Modigliani, winner of a mile maiden at Galway, are less certain, although his trainer certainly rates him highly.

"He's one who fits into the 'could be anything category,' said O'Brien. "He's a strong-travelling Galileo who does his work very easily. We haven't made a definite plan but he could go for one of the Derby trials rather than the Guineas."

Amedeo Modigliani and The Pentagon are the colts behind Saxon Warrior in the Derby market, and looking ahead to Epsom O'Brien said: "The Pentagon is more likely to go for one of the Derby trials than for the Guineas.

The Pentagon (left): set to contest one of the Derby trialsCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"He has done very well and we were delighted with his third in the Racing Post Trophy. He'd missed three weeks between his previous run and the Doncaster race and so we were surprised that he ran so well."

He added: "Flag Of Honour, Rostropovich, James Cook, Kenya, Nelson and Gardens Of Babylon will be running in some of the trials and so will Kew Gardens, who could be a proper Derby horse."

Mendelssohn, winner of the Listed Patton Stakes at Dundalk on his reappearance, will get the chance to further advertise his Kentucky Derby claims in the UAE Derby at Meydan a week on Saturday, when he will be joined in the line-up by Threeandfourpence and Seahenge, who finished second and third behind him at Dundalk.

Also Dubai-bound are Idaho, for the Sheema Classic, Lancaster Bomber and Deauville (Dubai Turf) and Washington DC (Al Quoz Sprint).

Order Of St George is likely to have two runs before the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, which he won in 2016 before losing out by a short head to Big Orange last year.

Capri, last year's Irish Derby and St Leger winner, is likely to start his campaign in the Mooresbridge Stakes at Naas on May 7, before going back up in trip.

On the fillies' front, whether Rhododendron will this weekend be the first of O'Brien's Group 1 winners from last year to start off depends largely on the weather over the next couple of days.

The Prix de l'Opera winner is entered for the Group 3 Park Express Stakes at Naas on Sunday.

Rhododendron: Naas return in the balanceCredit: System

The ground there on Wednesday was heavy, soft to heavy in places, and O'Brien said: "We'll wait and see but [Naas manager] Tom Ryan tells me they could get 20mm of rain between now and the weekend, so it might be too testing for her."

Enable was the only non-O'Brien horse to win a British or Irish Classic last year, beating Rhododendron in the Oaks at Epsom and another Ballydoyle filly, Rain Goddess, in the Irish Oaks.

Clemmie, Happily and September head the 1,000 Guineas betting for O'Brien this season, with Happily and September the top two in the Oaks market.

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