Epsom Derby 2022 Betting: Stone Age the clear Derby favourite after Leopardstown romp

There was a significant shake-up in the 2022 Derby odds over the weekend, as having won impressively in the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown the Aidan O'Brien-trained Stone Age rocketed to the head of the betting. We take a look at the latest odds for the Epsom Classic here...

It was a very topsy-turvy day for Aidan O'Brien on Sunday as having ruled out former ante-post favourite Luxembourg from next month's Derby after the 2000 Guineas third picked up an injury that will keep him out of the Classic, he then saw Stone Age romp to a hugely impressive victory in the Derby Trial Stakes (previously Derrinstown Stud Trial), and that son of Galileo is now a clear red-hot 3/1 favourite for the Derby, which is run on June 4.

Sent off a 10/11 favourite for the Group 3 event on Sunday, Stone Age showed a fine turn of foot to pull five-and-a-half lengths clear of the second placed Glory Daze to produce one of the finest displays of the season, and the Galileo colt, who failed to win as a three-year-old, but has already won twice this season including a Navan maiden will now spearhead the O'Brien team.

Last week's meeting at Chester threw up some notable Derby pointers and it was the aforementioned O'Brien that unearthed another brace of Derby contenders as Changingoftheguard was a fine winner of the Chester Vase as he beat New London emphatically, and the former is now a best-priced 7/1, while Dee Stakes winner Star Of India is a 12/1 chance following his impressive Chester success a few days ago.

We are set for some more Derby clues this week at York's Dante Festival, and the Dante Stakes itself can often throw up some leading Classic contenders and this year's renewal should be no different. Sir Michael Stoute's Desert Crown has only been seen once on a racecourse, which saw him win impressively at Nottingham in a maiden, but he's been well supported in the Derby market, and is the 6/1 second favourite. An ante-post favourite for Thursday's Dante, he will take on Magisterial, who is a 25/1 chance for the Derby and El Bodegon, who is the same price for the Classic, which will light up Epsom in early June.

Donnacha O'Brien will bid for his first Derby success in a few weeks time and he is set to unleash Piz Badile, who is currently an 11/1 chance, while the likes of United Nations, Walk Of Stars and Point Lonsdale are another trio towards the head of the betting, which will take a lot more shape following the Dante. However, the O'Brien team appear to have a strong team set to head to Epsom, as the Ballydoyle yard bid for a ninth win in the race.