Oxx confident ‘well bred’ Ebanoran capable of Derby glory

Ebanoran’s 16 to 1 Epsom Derby odds might suggest he faces an uphill task against Australia & Co in 10 days but the fact he will be only John Oxx’s fourth starter in racing’s blue-riband event is a statistic to be reckoned with.

Oxx’s record is one of the most remarkable in the Derby’s 234-year history with two winners: Sinndar (2000); Sea The Stars (2009); and a third from Alamshar in 2003 that the Curragh trainer still reckons was one that got away.

In comparison Ebanoran concedes experience and proven race-winning form to that illustrious trio. But despite that he is on course to take his chance.

First past the post in the Derrinstown Derby Trial earlier this month only to be placed behind Fascinating Rock by the stewards, the Aga Khan-owned colt plotted a somewhat wayward path up the Leopardstown straight but his trainer believes there could be valid reasons for that.

“It was just his third start and there was a slow pace. And sometimes when inexperienced horses sprint off a slow pace they can wobble a bit. It also probably wasn’t as bad as it looked,” said Oxx yesterday.

‘Tailor-made’ Australia “Declan [McDonogh] initially let him drift left and didn’t try to correct him because he wanted to get to the rail and make the others come round him. As for the second drift, it’s possible the horse ducked away from a photographer standing on a step

ladder near the post. He hadn’t done anything like that before and hopefully he will have learned from it.”

Oxx conceded the favourite Australia looks “tailor-made” for the Derby test but plenty will see significance in Ebanoran taking him on at all.

“It’s true the owner isn’t into running no-hopers and neither am I. We think this is a colt worth sending to Epsom. He’s . . . very well bred. We can’t be sure about him staying the mile-and-a-half but that isn’t the worst complaint. You would rather that than going there with an out-and-out stayer. Epsom is a test of stamina and speed,” he said.

Sinndar, Sea The Stars and Alamshar went to Epsom with four races under their belts while Ebanoran will have had only three, something that didn’t appear to overly concern the Curragh trainer.

Oxx’s Derby greats “Sinndar had won the Derrinstown and was about 10

to 1 on the day he won the Derby while Sea The Stars had won the Guineas and had an obvious favourite’s chance. Alamshar was surprising because he was the best horse in the race that year but didn’t win.

“It was a very big field and he wasn’t very big himself and we found out later he could get a little intimidated due to his lack of size. We held him up at Epsom and he never travelled. Afterwards he won the Irish Derby and the King George when he was up there and on the outside,” Oxx recalled, before outlining his take on the series of Derby trials this year.

“The Guineas is traditionally always the best trial and the favourite does look tailor-made for the job at Epsom. Apart from the Guineas, it’s hard to know which was the best trial, or if they were any good at all . . .

“But the two trials for a Derby horse in Ireland are the Ballysax and the Derrinstown and I think the Derrinstown was a good race this year. The connections of the first three obviously think their horses are good enough to go,” he added.

Declan McDonogh has ridden Ebanoran in all three of his starts to date and will maintain the partnership at Epsom.