Big Race Verdict: Stay True to Galileo line with O'Brien rookie in Lingfield Derby Trial

• Ballydoyle have market top two for Lingfield's Saturday feature

• Stay True looks tailor-made for 1m4f

• Alan Dudman delivers his Big Race Verdict for the Derby Trial 

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Betting says O'Brien dominance to continue

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore have enjoyed a good week, as they often to to do at Chester, with wins in the Vase and The Dee Stakes, and if the betting is anything to go by for Lingfield's Derby Trial on Saturday, their dominance is likely to continue.

The Betfair Sportsbook favourite is Puppet Master at 11/82.38 and the chosen mount of Ryan Moore, while the less exposed Stay True comes in at 9/43.25 and it is a big moment for Richard Kingscote riding for Ballydoyle.

O'Brien's history in the race goes back to successive wins in 2008 and 2009 with Alessandro Volta and Age of Aquarius. Since then four have added to the honours list in Surrey to make it six wins in the race. This little window between Chester and Lingfield is a key part of the Ballydoyle Derby plans.

Puppet Master holds a rating of 104 after four starts, so he's had the chance to run to that figure and has no fitness worries having returned for the season in the Ballsax last time - a race in which O'Brien had the first 206 home. I jest, it was actually just the first three of the four.

4 (2)

Puppet Master (Ire)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

Delacroix won the Leopardstown contest and where he sits amongst the exiled pair, The Lion In Winter and Twain, will be interesting. But does Puppet Master strike me as a Derby winner? No. After all, he was beaten into fourth in the Royal Lodge.

Stay True has a live chance

The interesting runner here is Stay True - one start and one win.

He looks very much a stayer judged on his Leopardstown debut win over 1m2f 31 days ago and by Galileo. He looked all over a Galileo, with all the hallmarks, as the great line of the sire is coming to its end.

O'Brien mentioned post-race he was still a bit of a baby and said Moore spoke about targeting some of the trials. He would need to be supplemented for Epsom as he doesn't hold an entry but he does have one in the Irish version, and 1m4f he'd get standing on his head.

At Leopardstown he was under pressure and pushed along before the turn, but his Galileo good mind came into play down the straight and his finishing effort was excellent.

The ground will be quick on Saturday, genuine fast, as Lingfield were at one stage not allowed to water. Some might say it's redolent of the grand old days of racing.

The time breakdown and his sectional analysis from Leopardstown really highlighted his strength at the end with his best four sectionals all in the final four furlongs with 11.97 and 12.09 at eight and and nine. The ground officially that day was described as good, although Timeform rated it good to soft.

7 (5)

Stay True (Ire)

• J: Richard Kingscote
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

Puppet Master's only win to date, for all he has been deep, came in a Galway Maiden in soft - a race in which his final furlong clocked in at nearly 13-and-a-half seconds - which was a fifth slower than the third and on par with the last. And with the ground in store, I think we can have a live candidate in opposition.

Godolphin sitting this one out

Charlie Appleby and the resurgent Godolphin have used this race in the past, notably with Military Order in 2023 but they are skipping it this time, following a barnstorming Newmarket. That opens up the race for other cadres in pursuit of the middle-distance dream.

Prince Of The Seas is by my favourite stallion, STS, but he flopped badly in the Epsom Blue Riband Trial recently and I didn't like his ways as he was keen and hung left, and if that's in his 'tormenta', not only will he have little chance again at Epsom, but he'll be vulnerable to something a bit more straightforward and sounder of mind at Lingfield.

Nightime Dancer for Richard Hannon looks overpriced at 12s on the Sportsbook, but it's a thin turnout and each-way options are non-existent. This three-year-old looks another improver for Ghayyaith, the stallion whose stock are now coming onto the radar strongly.

Nightime Dancer is bred for these sorts of races, not only by a stamina sire, but from a Sea The Stars dam and his staying burst at Southwell was impressive.

He raced over 1m4f on that occasion, a big jump up from 7f on his debut at Newmarket, and looked a real old fashioned boat. I am trying to be kind as the stamina horses make the great game, and in the age of horses like Vandeek, a blink-and-you-miss him juvenile given stud duties, we need more staying boats and more of these type of horses. 

Lingfield might be a sharp enough test, however, for him, and with fast ground, I am sure he'll go pretty big in-running, but it was a very likeable display at Southwell and he does hold a Derby entry.

Lingfield Derby Trial Verdict

With no Godolphin, the opposition looks beatable against Ballydoyle, and with Prince Of The Seas' poor run at Epsom last time, Stay True looks made for the trip and further, and he might just have a bit more speed than Nightime Dancer.

Puppet Master's sole win on soft and more exposed profile gives me enough to go with Stay True, and we can keep the Galileo flame burning for now. 

Now read more tips and previews for Saturday's racing here!