Auguste Rodin will face eight rivals in Sunday's Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh as he bids to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-extending fifteenth Irish Derby and bring up a 100th European Classic for the master from Ballydoyle.
The son of Deep Impact attempts to become the fifth horse under Aidan O'Brien's care to complete the Epsom – Curragh Derby double and join Galileo, High Chaparral, Camelot and Australia with a place in the history books.
Auguste Rodin, who saw the form of his Epsom Derby success boosted when King Of Steel landed the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, will face four reopposing rivals from Epsom. White Birch and Sprewell, who finished third and fourth behind Auguste Rodin at Epsom, will both be looking to close the gap on this more conventional track while stablemates Adelaide River (eighth) and San Antonio (eleventh) also feature amongst the nine declarations.
Peking Opera and Covent Garden make up the Aidan O'Brien quintet while sons Joseph and Donnacha, who both enjoyed Royal Ascot success, saddle Up And Under and Proud And Regal. The former remains a maiden after three starts to date and the latter, who landed the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud as a juvenile, will step up to twelve furlongs following a seventh-placed finish behind Paddington in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
Ralph Beckett will not be tasting back-to-back Irish Derby success as his Salt Bay failed to feature in the final field of nine.
Knight To Knight was the only other horse not to stand their ground at this morning's declaration stage.
Auguste Rodin is a general 4/9 shot to become the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to complete the English and Irish Derby double.
Paddy Power: 4-9 Auguste Rodin, 9-2 Sprewell, 5 White Birch, 12 Up And Under, 33 Adelaide River, Proud And Regal, 50 San Antonio, 66 Peking Opera, 100 Covent Garden
