Adam Houghton highlights five three-year-olds who significantly increased their Timeform rating last week, including the new Derby favourite Stone Age.
Stone Age (118p from 108p)
A wide-margin maiden winner at Navan in March, Stone Age was no less dominant when following up in Sunday’s Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, belatedly getting off the mark in pattern company after a couple of near-misses as a two-year-old. He was left to dictate a modest early gallop before settling matters quickly once sent for home early in the straight, drawing right away from there to win by five and a half lengths from Glory Daze.
Stone Age was full value for a smart performance and he created such a deep impression that he was promoted to the front of the Derby betting just hours after previous favourite and stablemate Luxembourg had been ruled out.
His straightforward nature will certainly lend itself well to the challenges of a track like Epsom and he is bound to prove at least as effective over a mile and a half. When you also factor in his scope for more improvement, then Stone Age must have every chance of becoming the horse to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a ninth Derby win.
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Changingoftheguard (115 from 97)
O’Brien can also call upon Changingoftheguard who, upped in trip and returned to turf, confirmed himself a much better three-year-old with an imperious victory in Wednesday’s Chester Vase, winning in very similar fashion to when opening his account in a Dundalk maiden less than five weeks earlier.
Admittedly, Changingoftheguard very much had the run of the race at Chester and it was probably a substandard edition of that Group Three, but it was still hard to fault the manner in which he got the job done, beating the odds-on favourite New London by six and a half lengths and recording a good timefigure in the circumstances as well.
Like Luxembourg before him, Stone Age now looks a possible standout among the Ballydoyle contenders for the Derby, but apparent second- or third-string status has been no obstacle to success for O'Brien-trained runners over the years and it's easy to see Changingoftheguard running a big race at Epsom.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsAlflaila (113 from 101)
Alflaila achieved a useful level of form in six starts as a two-year-old, albeit he appeared to have his limitations exposed on the last occasion when finishing only sixth behind Coroebus in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket in October. He was back in calmer waters on his reappearance at Ascot on Friday, though it was still no easy task lining up in a handicap from a BHA mark of 102 – fully 14 lb higher than when filling the runner-up spot in a nursery at York last August.
After being backed at long odds, Alflaila duly left his two-year-old form behind to regain the winning thread last week, always doing enough to land the spoils by a length after being produced to lead inside the final furlong.
Those who dominated the market proved rather disappointing, but it took a smart effort from Alflaila to defy top weight and his stay back in handicaps could prove a brief one. This form is around Listed class and his connections are entitled to be targeting the Jersey Stakes back at Ascot next month.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsStar of India (110p from 103p)
In 2017, Cliffs of Moher was beaten less than a length in the Derby when trying to follow up his success in the Dee Stakes at Chester three weeks earlier, a double last achieved by Kris Kin in 2003. O’Brien trained Cliffs of Moher and this year he won the Dee Stakes for a ninth time with Star of India, who will now attempt to succeed where so many others have failed at Epsom.
Only fifth on his reappearance in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, Star of India showed improved form to justify good support over a two-furlong longer trip at Chester, displaying quite a likeable way of going about things as he saw off his five rivals by two and a quarter lengths in comfortable fashion. He was never stronger than at the finish, which offers hope for him staying a mile and a half, even if it's by no means certain on pedigree.
The experience gained here seems sure to bring him on again and the fact this was just his third start also points to him making further progress.
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Discover Sporting Life Plus BenefitsUnited Nations (109p from 102p)
United Nations completes the quartet of O’Brien-trained horses who enhanced their Derby credentials last week, his victory coming in Saturday’s Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield, a race Anthony Van Dyck (winner in 2019) and Adayar (runner-up in 2021) both contested before going on to taste success at Epsom in recent years.
United Nations showed borderline smart form to add his name to the roll of honour on Saturday, seeing out the extra distance well and proving more straightforward than the runner-up, Walk of Stars, who was beaten less than a length despite doing a lot wrong.
In truth, Walk of Stars is probably blessed with more ability than the winner, though Epsom may not be ideal for him on this evidence. As for United Nations, he is entitled to run in the Derby and may yet have more to offer, but similar comments apply to a couple of his stablemates who have already run to a higher level.
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