Nap of the Day: O’Brien to land Betfred Derby trial – again

After winners at 3/1 and 5/2 on Saturday and Tuesday respectively, I'm on a hat-trick in this Nap of the Day column.

Fancied to bring it home is an Aidan O'Brien inmate in a Betfred Derby trial at Chester's May Festival on Thursday.

Aidan O'Brien has dominated the Dee Stakes over the years, winning nine of the last 12 renewals of the 1m2½f Listed event.

He's level on all-time wins (11) with the great Barry Hills and I fancy his chances of going clear on Thursday courtesy of MOUNT KILIMANJARO.

The three-year-old son of Siyouni is Ballydoyle's main representative this year, and I expect him to take all the beating.

It's fair to say his juvenile form has worked out very well. He bumped into subsequent Group 1 winners Scorthy Champ and Hotazhell on debut at Leopardstown exactly 12 months ago, and then Starzintheireyes (Group 3 winner) and Field Of Gold (Betfred 2000 Guineas runner-up) at Newmarket a couple of months later.

He was far from disgraced on both occasions, despite racing over an inadequate seven furlongs on good ground. That was never likely to get the best out of this stamina-laden colt.

Connections stepped him up to a mile on easier ground on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend at Longchamp and he answered the call, winning a £113k contest in good style.

Then, just over three weeks later, he was second to stablemate Twain, billed as a potential Triple Crown horse prior to a setback that ruled him out of the Betfred 2000 Guineas, at the highest level at Saint-Cloud.

What I liked most about the selection's performance just outside of Paris was his finishing effort. He pulled over four lengths clear of the third, suggesting he has more to offer over 1m2f and possibly even further.

I think Mount Kilimanjaro, who's rated vastly-superior to the field, would be around even money, if not odds-on, but for his disappointing reappearance at Dundalk two months ago.

He was beaten at 1/4f in County Louth, in an average affair for a horse of his quality. He really ought to have been winning it.

That being said, the sheer fact he was out so early in the season suggests he was nowhere near full fitness - and he was conceding weight to all four opponents. To an extent, it can be forgiven.

With that under his belt, I'm expecting him to come forward a good deal at Chester on Thursday.

O'Brien and stable jockey Ryan Moore have excelled on the Roodee in recent years (15 wins from their last 19 engagements) and this Betfred Derby possible, who also holds entries for the Irish Derby and Coral-Eclipse, can be their latest success story in Cheshire.

If I'm right, it goes without saying that 40/1 about Mount Kilimanjaro for Epsom won't last.

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