Dubai: Ryan Moore, who has been in rousing form this season, will ride Irish-trained Giovanni Canaletto as he seeks to win a third Investec Derby (G1) in six years.
The three-time British champion jockey has ridden more Group winners than any of his rivals since the season kicked off in April and can add another big-race victory to his collection aboard Aidan O’Brien’s colt, the 8/1 third favourite.
Meanwhile, the Coolmore Stud tweeted that Joseph O’Brien, who won the Epsom Classic 12 months ago aboard Australia, will ride stablemate Kilimanjaro, while Hans Holbein will be partnered by Seamie Heffernan, a two-time Irish Derby scorer who is looking for a first success in the English version.
Giovanni Canaletto, who is a full-brother to 2013 winner Ruler Of The World, was beaten by a neck on his three-year-old debut, but O’Brien was willing to brush that performance aside.
“We were very happy, our horse finished very well. Maybe the line just came a shade too early, but our horse ran a great race,” he said.
Commenting on Hans Holbein, the Ballydoyle master added: “He’s a horse that looked like getting a mile-and-a-half well, wouldn’t mind an ease in the ground and probably will end up getting further than a mile-and-a-half.
On Kilimanjaro, who won the Lingfield Derby Trial last month, O’Brien said: “He’s a big cruiser and came home well that day, so it’s setting up nice for him as well.
“I think the better the ground will suit everybody. It will give a nice, proper, fair race and it will suit everybody really.”
