Nap of the Day: Pierre can stay top of the Derby market

We've been treated to some excellent racing this weekend, with the Grand National taking place at Aintree on Saturday, and the Flat takes centre stage in Ireland, as Leopardstown’s seven-race card has three Group 3s, including the Ballysax Stakes. Musselburgh's fixture will be shown live on ITV and there are also National Hunt meetings from Wincanton, Down Royal and Ffos Las.

There's one runner in particular at Leopardstown who draws my attention in the feature race of the day. Aidan O’Brien sends ante-post Derby favourite to the Ballysax Stakes and he should prove very hard to beat on the evidence of his juvenile form, as discussed below in my Nap of the Day for Sunday, April 12.

16:55 Leopardstown Odds

Aidan O'Brien has several live Derby contenders every year and usually trains the ante-post favourite. The horse at the head of the market for this year's Epsom Classic is the very promising colt PIERRE BONNARD, who has won three of his four starts thus far.

This impeccably bred colt is out of 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot, who came very close to winning the triple crown during his racing days. His dam was a Group 1 winner during her career, so 1m4f is likely to suit him further down the line.

He looked in need of the experience when a well beaten fourth on debut, but O'Brien’s two-year-olds usually improve significantly from their first starts and Pierre Bonnard was no different, as he went on to win impressively on the all-weather at Dundalk next time.

A step up in grade was inevitable on his next start and he thrived racing over an extra couple of furlongs in the Zetland Stakes at Newmarket. Heading to France after that, Christophe Soumillon was on board for the Criterium de Saint-Cloud and he got the job done nicely.

There's always the danger with Ballydoyle representatives that they won't be forward enough on seasonal debut at this time of year, but O'Brien has won this race five times in the last eight years and will want his leading Derby hope to make a winning start to the season.

The biggest threat could be stablemate Christmas Day, as he was progressive at the back end of last season and could be a St Leger type later on in the campaign. He beat A Boy Named Susie in a Group 3 over 1m1f here and should do well as a three-year-old.

Another horse to look out for is Joseph O'Brien's James J Braddock, who won his maiden impressively last term and is entitled to progress with experience. All of the field will have to improve to compete with Pierre Bonnard, however.

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