O'Brien pair tackle Derrinstown

Aidan O’Brien will saddle both Grand Central and Down Mexico Way in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown tomorrow.

The Ballydoyle handler will be hoping his pair can follow in the footsteps of Yeats, High Chaparral and Galileo, who carried the Group Two contest back to his Tipperary base in 2004, 2002 and 2001 respectively.

Grand Central is his leading Derby hope out of the two runners and is a general 20-1 shot for the blue riband after finishing runner-up to John Oxx’s Alayan on his three-year-old debut last month.

“We are running Down Mexico Way to skip along in front,” said O’Brien.

“Grand Central has improved since his run at Leopardstown and I was happy with him that day as he got tired and Kieren (Fallon) was easy on him.”

Alayan, who won two of his four starts as a juvenile, reopposes and takes another step up in class after his smooth success in the Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial.

Dermot Weld is responsible for Bobs Pride, and the field is completed by David Wachman’s unbeaten Fracas, winner of the Betfred Classic Trial at Sandown.