Aidan O'Brien points to Stone Age as Moore's likely Derby mount

Aidan O’Brien expects Ryan Moore to choose impressive Leopardstown winner Stone Age as his Cazoo Derby ride.

Despite having long-time ante-post favourite Luxembourg ruled out due to a muscular problem, O’Brien still holds plenty of aces in the Epsom Classic.

He won both Derby trials at Chester through Changingoftheguard in the Vase and Star Of India in the Dee Stakes and continued his dominance when United Nations beat Charlie Appleby’s well-touted Walk Of Stars at Lingfield.

Arguably the deepest trial took place closer to home, however, and as Stone Age crossed the line five and a half lengths clear in the Leopardstown contest, he was installed as the new favourite.

"I think Ryan would find it hard not to ride the horse from yesterday," O’Brien said during a press morning at his Ballydoyle stables.

"We know the way they’ll be ridden – Changingoftheguard will go forward and that would suit the horse that won yesterday.

"The one that won at Chester over a mile and a quarter (Star Of India) will also go forward but he’s a little bit lazy, so he might end up tucking in a little bit. The horse that won at Lingfield will go forward as he stays well, Charlie’s horse (Natural World) went a good gallop there.

"I’d imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride Stone Age, but I don’t know.

"You’d have had to be impressed with him. You’d have liked something to have led him. There was one that ran at Cork (French Claim) we thought would lead but he didn’t, so there was no point in messing him about so we let him bowl along.

"The good thing about him is that he got a lot of experience at two, he was always happy to be dropped in and he learned a lot but we weren’t running him to teach him."

He went on: "In all the trials we were very happy to