IT’S Derby weekend and the big race as always, in both quantity and quality, is dominated by Aidan O’Brien with no less than seven of the 13 runners set to go to post.

Now this can mean one of two things. Either he has no idea which is his best staying three-year-old colt OR he and his owners simply want to dominate his rivals in this, the most lucrative of all divisions.

I have already backed Broome for the St Leger as I feel he is nothing more than a classy galloper, but if as expected the maestro sets out with at least two of his pride at the head of affairs then this year’s renewal could very well play into his hands and under such circumstances I expect this long-striding stayer to hit the frame at the very least.

But by far and away the colt with the most potential has to be the Chester Vase hero SIR DRAGONET who looked nothing short of awesome when he landed his Epsom trial at the Cheshire track, drawing gasps of amazement from the huge crowd.

Slowly away and out of the back in the early stages, he simply didn’t know what was required of him but Donnacha O’Brien rode a peach of a race on him, letting him find his stride and slowly easing him back into the bridle.

The son of Camelot responded wonderfully by suddenly realising what the task was in hand and coming back on the bridle half a mile out. From that point onwards the prize was never in doubt and once he swept into the lead down the stretch there was only going to be one winner.

You could gripe at the bare form of the race and the view that the rest of the field set up the race for him, but I would beg to differ and feel that we could well have seen something very special, a la Shergar, last month.

Here is my A-Z on the big race at 4.30…

ANTHONY VAN DYCK — Beautifully bred, stays well and showed his wellbeing in the Lingfield Classic Trial with a workmanlike win. He could readily hit the frame.

BANGKOK — Showed a really good attitude to win at Sandown and is held in the highest regard by his shrewd trainer. Needs to pull out a bit more to get involved here, but that is far from impossible.

BROOME — Has won the two big three-year-old trials in Ireland and the hallmark of both of those wins was that he was ultra string at the finish. I fancy the Leger could be his domain but in a fast run nothing will be staying on stronger.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS — Another O’Brien trial winner (Chester Vase) and he too, like many of his team, looks as though he will relish this test. I just wonder whether give in the ground is imperative to him though.

HIROSHIMA — Well held in the Lingfield Derby Trial.

HUMANITARIAN — It is interesting that John Gosden pitches him in this deep following his Salisbury maiden success as he had several other likely runners that arguably have a better outside chance than this fella.

JAPAN — Was well beaten in the Dante Stakes at York, but several staff members at Ballydoyle think he is way better than that and I expect a huge run from this powerful-looking son of Galileo.

LINE OF DUTY — Has always been earmarked as Godolphin’s Derby horse, but he simply didn’t turn up at York and needs a massive step forward here to be involved. 

MADHMOON — I fancy this step up to a mile-and-a-half may find him out following a decent run in the Guineas and that 10 furlongs will be his optimum trip in time.

NORWAY — Out and out stayer who could well be used as early bait for some of his stable mates to aim at.

SIR DRAGONET — Was hugely impressive at Chester after looking like a lost little baby at halfway, but simply mowed them down turning for home. He needs to improve on the bare figures, but I think he will and could be a superstar in the making.

SOVEREIGN — Another of the O’Brien also-rans entered to out pace into the race.

TELECASTER — The Dante winner could well be the main stumbling block to an O’Brien clean sweep and kept on strongly to win his trial at York, but I reckon he needs another big step forward here to land the gold medal.

CONCLUSION:

1/SIR DRAGONET

2/BROOME

3/JAPAN

4/ANTHONY VAN DYCK

As far as the rest of the day is concerned, the opening three-year-old handicap at 2.00 looks wide open, but I do like the claims of LE DON DE VIE (nap) from the in-form Andrew Balding yard.

BLUE DE VEGA has run well in the Dash for the past couple of years and is weighted to make an impact in this speedsters’ event 3.45, while the big mile-and-a-half handicap (5.15) may well go the way of SEXTANT (nb), a hugely impressive winner at Ascot last time out.