SATURDAY’S Irish Derby is set to be a right family affair with the O’Brien clan dominating the latest entry stage.
Royal Ascot hero Santiago headlines 10 confirmations for Aidan – with sons Joseph and Donnacha holding another three cards between them.
Santiago ran out an impressive winner of the Queen’s Vase last Friday, and could make a swift reappearance on Saturday in a bid to provide his trainer with a record 14th victory in the Curragh Classic.
The Ballydoyle maestro could also run Arthur’s Kingdom and Iberia – two other leading hopes.
Joseph has left in the unbeaten Crossfirehurricane and Galileo Chrome, and supplemented the only filly in the field, New York Girl.
Fledgling trainer Donnacha O’Brien, meanwhile, is set to be represented by Sherpa.
Ger Lyons claimed his first Classic with Siskin in the Irish 2,000 Guineas this month, and could saddle the maiden Chiricahua.
The only other possible runners not trained by an O’Brien are Fiscal Rules (Jim Bolger), Gold Maze (Jessica Harrington), King Of The Throne (Emmet Mullins) and Sunchart (Andrew Slattery).
The latter impressed in a Tipperary maiden last autumn, but finished last of five on his reappearance in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.
Slattery said: “He’s an intended runner at the moment, as long as we get a bit of rain and everything goes well over the next few days.
“He was lame after Leopardstown, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. It took him a week or so to get over that – but he did a nice bit of work this morning, and we think he’s come back right.
“Aidan looks like he’ll have plenty of runners in it – I’m nearly the only one without the surname O’Brien!
“I think it’s an open year – and as long as the ground is good and safe, there’s no reason not to give it a go.”
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