AIDAN O’Brien expects to see an improved Saxon Warrior in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday.

Always considered a likely Derby contender, the son of Deep Impact sparked Triple Crown dreams with victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Those ambitions went up in smoke at Epsom as he could only finish fourth in the Investec Derby, but O’Brien feels his charge will have learnt from the experience and is confident he will be seen to better effect back on a more conventional track like the home of Irish flat racing.

O’Brien said: "He seems good and Donnacha rode him in his work on Saturday. It is so far so good and the plan is to go for the Irish Derby and we are looking forward to that.

"He ran a great race at Epsom. He was a little bit at sea (on the track). He was a little bit babyish in his mind and found the whole experience different.

"Ryan (Moore) looked after him, which was the right thing to do and he came out the race very well, which the main thing.

"We think he will have grown up and learnt a lot for that experience. I think the track at the Curragh will be better for him. I think Epsom would be fine for him if he was to go back there again. He was just a little bit at sea and was still a bit of baby last time.

"He had three soft runs at the backend last year and he didn’t learn an awful lot. The tracks were all easy tracks he raced on. We think the experience at Epsom would have done him the world of good.

"His work is finished now and everything seems good. All his team are very happy and it is so far so good."

ASCOT RUNNERS

Beaten Queen Anne favourite Rhododendron has the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and the Eclipse at Sandown among her options.

The Lockinge winner disappointed when only ninth in the first race of Royal Ascot and is likely to be stepped up in trip. Stablemate Deauville was only 12th.

"She ran well and we were happy. We might have preferred a stronger pace and that would have been the same with Deauville," said O’Brien. "We know both stay further but they appear to have come out of the race well.

"She has a lot of choices, there is the Nassau or the Eclipse. All those races are open to her. "

Sergei Prokofiev ran well to be third in the Coventry Stakes behind the impressive winner Calyx.

"He ran very well. He was drawn on the other side to the winner but Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him," said O’Brien. "He is a big horse but we’ve not forced him in any way yet. We think he is going to be a horse to look forward to.

"He was always going to step up to six furlongs and he will probably even get further than that. We were very happy with the run. It’s very early in the year to be chasing them and being hard on them. The experience would have done him well.

"Something like the Prix Morny (August 19th) we could look at but we won’t be in any panic with him. He obviously has the Phoenix (August 12th) there he could for as well."

Gustav Klimt was beaten just half a length by Without Parole in the St James’ Palace Stakes, while U S Navy Flag is likely to drop down in trip after finishing only ninth in the same race.

O’Brien said: "Gustav Klimt ran very well and progressed again from the Curragh. He progressed from Newmarket to the Curragh and he progressed again. We were very happy with his run.

"U S Navy Flag is a very fast and there is every chance he might sharpen up in trip after this.

"There was always a possibility that would happen as he is fast and he wants to get it done. He is a Middle Park winner at the end of the day. It (July Cup) is obviously a possibility but it’s not been decided yet."