Aidan O’Brien looks to extend good start at Dundalk

Aidan O’Brien could target a second success in this Friday’s Bets365 Classic Trial at Sandown but before that can continue his good start to the flat season at Dundalk today.

The champion trainer sends half a dozen runners to the all-weather fixture, including the two-year-old newcomer, Caravaggio, and he has five entries for Sandown’s mile-and-a-quarter Derby trial which he won in 2012 with Imperial Monarch.

Last season’s Tyros winner Deauville appears to head the Ballydoyle possibles for a race which could see an appearance by Juddmonte’s highly-rated Derby hope, Midterm.

With less than a fortnight to Air Force Blue’s eagerly anticipated appearance in the 2,000 Guineas, the Ballydoyle team are in notably good form, and as well as Caravaggio both Seventh Heaven and Bravery hold good maiden claims at Dundalk.

Sir Isaac Newton briefly held Derby claims of his own at this time last year but now reappears in a seven-furlong conditions race against Yuften. The latter has had an outing on the track already this year that should make him hard to beat.

Length of Britain

Meanwhile, Willie Mullins is set to travel the length of Britain this week in his attempt to beat Paul Nicholls to the British trainer’s title.Mullins has entries for Perth’s three-day festival which starts at Britain’s northernmost track on Wednesday.

After being a 1/10 favourite following Aintree, Mullins is now an 11/8 shot behind his rival to become the first Irishman to land the title since Vincent O’Brien in 1954.

A Saturday four-timer at Ayr, including a lucrative Scottish National victory for Vicente, left Nicholls almost €50,000 ahead of Mullins in prizemoney.

But Nicholls has forecast the result is likely to come down to the final day of the UK season at Sandown on Saturday.