O'Brien unconcerned by Yeats stiffness

Trainer Aidan O’Brien reported Vodafone Derby favourite Yeats to be “stiff” after working on Friday.

The son of Sadler’s Wells is 5-2 favourite with William Hill for the Epsom Classic after winning both the Derrinstown and Ballysax trials at Leopardstown this spring.

“Yeats worked on Friday and was a shade stiff this morning,” said O’Brien on yesterday.

“It’s probably nothing and has never happened before, and it’s nothing unusual with horses in training.

“It could turn out that he has just tweaked a muscle but everything else has been 100 per cent up until now and everything else with him is fine.”

Vodafone Derby betting:

Ladbrokes: 9-4 Yeats, 3-1 Snow Ridge, 4-1 North Light, 12-1 American Post, 14-1 Percussionist, 16-1 Cairdeas, Rule Of Law, Salford City, 20-1 Let The Lion Roar, 33-1 bar.

Coral: 9-4 Yeats, 100-30 Snow Ridge, 9-2 North Light, 10-1 American Post, 12-1 Salford City, 14-1 Azamour, Cairdeas, Let The Lion Roar, Rule Of Law, 16-1 Grey Swallow, Percussionist, 25-1 Meath, 33-1 bar.

William Hill: 5-2 Yeats, 3-1 Snow Ridge, 4-1 North Light, 10-1 Day Flight (with a run), 11-1 American Post, 14-1 Bull Run (to be supplemented), Cairdeas, Percussionist, 16-1 Rule Of Law, Salford City, 20-1 Ecomium, Let The Lion Roar, 40-1 bar.