Lingfield Derby Trial Tips: Puppet Master To Have Rivals On A String

Although the Oaks Trial has taken the brunt of the flak having attracted just three runners, the Lingfield Derby Trial looks a winnable enough affair in 2025 as well. Billy Grimshaw is on hand to preview the contest and can't see past the all conquering Ballydoyle brigade...

It is only six years since Aidan O'Brien sent Anthony Van Dyck here to claim this race before going on to Epsom and scooping The Derby, but even in 2019 when he backed up there was no inkling that he was the pick of the crop that season. In 2025 we racing fans are in no doubt that the best O'Brien three year old colt is The Lion In Winter, and he could well be set to head to Epsom without a run, but there is quiet confidence in the camp it seems that their sole representative at Lingfield this year PUPPET MASTER is a pretty decent animal and deserves this crack at confirming his place in The Derby field.

Ryan Moore is at Lingfield rather than Ascot and should have at least one winner on the board by the time this race comes around as he partners Giselle in The Oaks trial, which has attracted a measly three runners and been shunted to the first race on the card. Even if he hasn't, it's hardly going to faze him as the best rider in the world today and we couldn't ask for a better partner to pull the strings on Puppet Master.

The dashing Camelot grey does not have form figures that take your eye out, finishing fourth the last twice, but they were in hot races and his latest run has now been boosted with the second Lambourn coming out and easily winning the Chester Vase. The winner of that aforementioned fourth at Leopardstown for our selection here Delacroix must be a fair tool, but there was plenty to like about Puppet Master's display given he was on seasonal debut and stayed on well over a trip that is bound to be too short for him against speedier types.

If he is to evolve into a Derby contender or even winner one suspects it'll be his stamina that does it over his speed and with that in mind I am anticipating Ryan Moore making plenty of use of him on the front end, maybe even going wire to wire. His main rival both in the race and for the lead could well be Roger Varian's Rahiebb, with Silvestre De Sousa almost certain to be handy on this last time out second over 1m3 at Haydock, his career best. We're yet to see the horse who reeled him in again but it looked an above average race and he's not a horse to underestimate, for all I expect Puppet Master to see him off.

Second in the market is Ballydoyle stablemate Stay True, with Richard Kingscote getting a rare ride for Aidan O'Brien onboard this once raced, once victorious son of Galileo. His maiden win was over 12 furlongs and this is nearly 14, but he hardly looked like he was desperate for the line when seeing it out readily at Leopardstown and this step up in trip should if anything bring out more improvement. He is not entered at Epsom but is in the Irish equivalent and it'd be no surprise to see him stay on takingly into second or third given a tender ride before being much better primed when tasked with winning a Classic back on home soil.

I made the mistake of tipping against Moore's selection at Chester this week when hunting value in the Ballydoyle second strings but I won't be doing that again in a hurry and while there are some smart rivals in here, on the formbook there is nothing that should really concern Puppet Master. The horses I have mentioned I fear most and I wouldn't totally rule out Prince Of The Seas for Ralph Beckett - who could go the Westover route and head for the Irish Derby for the same trainer - but I didn't particularly like the way he hung so violently left on reappearance at Epsom last month and so can give him a swerve, for all that Beckett may well have ironed out that kink and he be much improved.