IRELAND'S champion flat trainer Aidan O'Brien has made six entries for the £100,000 Group 3 Betway Winter Derby at Lingfield Park on Saturday, February 24th, it was revealed today.

This is a break from tradition for O'Brien, who last had a runner at a British All-Weather track in 2002.

O'Brien's team is headlined by two five-year-old sons of Galileo, American Grade 1 scorer Deauville and seven-time Group 1 winner Highland Reel's brother Idaho, who has succeeded in two Group 2s, more recently the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.

Neither has raced on the all-weather yet, with Deauville last appearing in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup on turf at Sha Tin on December 10th, while Idaho finished fifth of 17 in the Grade 1 Japan Cup at Tokyo on November 26th. Betway has priced up Deauville at 5/1 and Idaho at 8/1.

The trainer also has three four-year-old War Front colts, led by Lancaster Bomber (8/1), who finished runner-up in both the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile and Grade 1 Woodbine Mile year.

One of his 15 starts has not been on turf and came when winning the Group 2 UAE Derby on dirt at Meydan in March, 2017.

Both War Decree (5/1), an impressive winner of the Group 3 Diamond Stakes on Polytrack at Dundalk in September and a Group 2 winner on turf, and War Secretary (16/1), two from two at Dundalk including a listed success over seven furlongs last year, are unbeaten on the all-weather.

The final O'Brien entry for the Group 3 Betway Winter Derby is the J P McManus-owned mare Clear Skies (20/1), a four-time winner at Dundalk this winter – one maiden and three handicaps – at distances up to 12 furlongs.

Last year's winner, six-year-old Convey (11/2), who followed up in the Betway Easter Classic, is one of two entries for Sir Michael Stoute and could try to become for the first two-time winner of the Betway Winter Derby.

He only raced once on turf after his Betway Easter Classic victory on Good Friday last year, finishing sixth of seven in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin, Hong Kong in May. He is unbeaten in three all-weather outings.

Stoute's other potential runner Autocratic (6/1), a five-year-old Dubawi horse owned and bred by Cheveley Park Stud, is held in high regard and captured the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes on turf at Sandown Park in May.

Master The World (David Elsworth, 8/1) and Victory Bond (William Haggas, 9/2 favourite) occupied the first two places in the Listed Betway Quebec Stakes over the course and distance in November, separated by a length and three quarters. Victory Bond franked the form next time out by winning a conditions race impressively at Wolverhampton.

David Simcock's three entries include multiple listed scorer Mr Owen (20/1), while dual Group 3 victor Frankuus (10/1), a four-year-old Frankel colt who is yet to run on the all-weather, and popular seven-year-old Fire Fighting (25/1) are the two possible runners for Yorkshire-based handler Mark Johnston.

Betway Winter Derby - Betway prices:

Victory Bond 9/2, War Decree 5/1, Deauville 5/1, Convey 11/2, Autocratic 6/1, Khalidi 13/2, Master The World 8/1, Idaho 8/1, Lancaster Bomber 8/1, Frankuus 10/1, Petite Jack 10/1, Born To Be Alive 12/1, Intern 12/1, Elbereth 12/1, Utmost 16/1, War Secretary 16/1, Goring 20/1, Mount Tahan 20/1, Mr Owen 20/1, Red Label 20/1, Tricorn 20/1, Clear Skies 20/1, Battalion 25/1, Calling Out 25/1, Contrast 25/1, Fire Fighting 25/1, London Protocol 25/1, Star Archer 25/1, Battle Of Marathon 33/1, Elleval 33/1, Gabrial 33/1, Man of Harlech 40/1, Abe Lincoln 50/1, C Note 50/1, Mitchum Swagger 50/1, Mia Tesoro 50/1.

The Betway Winter Derby

Group 3, £100,000 total prize fund. Lingfield Park, Saturday, February 24, 1m 2f.