O’Brien still pinning Derby hopes on Auguste Rodin

‘Everything he has always done has been exceptional’.

Aidan O’Brien retains full faith in his Betfred Derby contender Auguste Rodin, despite his lacklustre 2000 Guineas display.

The Deep Impact colt won three of his four juvenile starts, culminating in Group One glory in Doncaster’s Futurity Trophy, with O’Brien rating him a possible Triple Crown horse this term.

However, Auguste Rodin failed to fire in the first Classic of the season at Newmarket in early May, coming home 12th behind Chaldean, beaten 22 lengths over the Rowley Mile.

O’Brien subsequently described the race as a “non-event” for the 13-8 favourite after he suffered interference in the early stages, with Ryan Moore not too hard on his mount when his chance had clearly gone.

Despite that defeat, Auguste Rodin remains a best-priced 9-2 second favourite behind Military Order for the Epsom showpiece on June 3 and O’Brien certainly believes his charge has the ability to make his presence felt.

He said: “The Derby is always about the one horse, really – and always has been. Everything he has always done has been exceptional.

“I think we just have to put a line through the Guineas and put it out of our heads.

“I think he got banged into and wiped out another. Because that happened, Ryan got caught in a pocket and it just didn’t happen.

“Ryan did the right thing.”

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