No trainer has sent out more Derby winners than Aidan O’Brien (eight) and the Ballydoyle trainer has a strong chance of extending that record following the win of Bolshoi Ballet at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The son of Galileo produced an excellent performance to surge six lengths clear of his rivals in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes and is now priced at 2/1 for Epsom glory early next month.

He was one of four winners on the card for O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.

Afterwards O’Brien reflected: “He’s come along lovely for his first run and we are very happy with that. He’s an uncomplicated horse who relaxes well and he’s able to quicken. We had pencilled him in for these two races at Leopardstown with a view to going to Epsom. Ryan was very happy with him.”

The Derrinstown hasn’t produced the Derby winner since High Chaparral in 2002, however Bolshoi Ballet looks like an outstanding candidate to break that trend, with the other trial races failing to throw up a cast-iron contender.

That said, there was plenty to like about Roger Varian’s Third Realm, ridden by Kildare native David Egan in the Lingfield Derby Trial on Saturday. He came through to win comfortably from favourite Adayar, despite showing signs of inexperience running on soft ground which his trainer was concerned about beforehand.

O’Brien had hoped to run the well-touted High Definition in Lingfield but last year’s Beresford winner instead runs in the Group 2 Dante Stakes, the last recognised Derby trial, on Thursday at York.

Also at Leopardstown last Sunday, O’Brien’s Joan Of Arc became a leading contender for the Irish 1000 Guineas with her win in the Group 3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial.

From the excellent Galileo-You’resothrilling family, which makes her a full-sister to Group 1 winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Happily, Joan Of Arc put a slightly disappointing effort last time out behind her with an all-the-way win. O’Brien referred to her previous sixth at the course as “a bit of a non-event” and reported that the filly will now head to the Curragh next weekend.

The Irish 2000 Guineas will likely feature a rematch between Poetic Flare and Lucky Vega, with Chindit in line to travel over for Richard Hannon as well.

On what is an excellent weekend of racing at Irish racing headquarters, double classic winner Love could make her eagerly awaited comeback run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday.