1.01 drama as O'Brien colt enhances Derby claims with last-gasp Ballysax win

Saturday: Leopardstown

Nobody has dominated the Ballysax Stakes like Aidan O'Brien, but it was his sons Joseph and Donnacha whose charges fought out a thrilling finish as the latter's Piz Badile tenaciously dug deep to overhaul Buckaroo.

It looked as though the runner-up had put the race to bed after moving on from the winner inside the final furlong, with the pair pulling clear of 100-30 favourite Duke De Sessa in third.

Ballysax Stakes race result and replay

However, Piz Badile mounted a spirited rally under a determined Gavin Ryan to claw back the deficit on 9-2 shot Buckaroo in the dying strides.

The runner-up was matched at 1.01 for £5,438 in running on Betfair, while the 4-1 winner hit a high of 100 for £12.

An attractive colt by Ulysses, Piz Badile has always been held in the highest regard by Donnacha O'Brien, who waxed lyrical about the Niarchos family homebred after a ready Killarney maiden win last July, in which Buckaroo was third.

A tilt at the Cazoo Derby is now firmly in the trainer's plans, although a return to Leopardstown for the Derrinstown Derby Trial on May 8 could come first.

Donnacha O'Brien on Piz Badile: 'He's always been a beautiful horse'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Paddy Power have priced up Piz Badile at 16-1 (from 20) to become the first Ballysax winner since Harzand in 2016 to land the Epsom highlight, with Buckaroo now 25-1 (from 50).

"He's always been a beautiful horse and matured well over the winter," said O'Brien, who won the Ballysax as a rider in 2018 aboard Nelson.

"He stays well and will be better going a mile and a half, but it was lovely to see him quicken like that over ten furlongs. He's a beautiful horse going forward."

O'Brien added: "Joseph was about ten yards to my left while watching the race. If I don't win, I'm happy when he wins and it's the same the other way around.

"There was a bit to work on coming here with this horse but I think a lot of him. I'd have been disappointed if he wasn't thereabouts. We came trying to find out if he's a Derby horse and hopefully he could be.

Donnacha O'Brien on Piz Badile: 'We'll probably go for the Derrinstown and then on to Epsom'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"We'll probably go for the Derrinstown and then on to Epsom, that's been the plan for a while. If that doesn't suit, we could always go straight there. He's still a big frame of a horse and whatever he does this year, I even think he'll be better as a four-year-old."

A rematch between the front two could be on the cards back here next month as Joseph O'Brien is also plotting another run for Buckaroo before the summer Classics.

"We were very pleased with his run after having to do it the hard way around the outside," said O'Brien.

"It looked like he had it all done and that the race was in safe keeping, but the winner just fought back.

"Hopefully he's going to be a very solid horse for us. I think a return here for the Derrinstown would look the most logical route, he'll want another run anyway, but we'll discuss it with Sheikh Fahad and the team."

More from Saturday's action:

Win My Wings secures flawless Scottish Grand National 1-2 for Christian Williams

Homeless Songs cut to 12-1 for 1,000 Guineas after smart Leopardstown trial win

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