Epsom Derby 2022: Piz Badile Profile
Donnacha O'Brien will saddle the classy colt Piz Badile in the 2022 Cazoo Derby, which takes place at Epsom Downs on Saturday 4 June, and the Ballysax Stakes winner is sure to be a leading player bidding for Classic success...
Piz Badile
Sire: Ulysses
Trainer: Donnacha O'Brien
Runs: 3
Wins: 2
Notable Race Wins: Ballysax Stakes
A narrow winner on debut at Killarney, Piz Badile failed to make it two wins from two on his final juvenile start, as the Donnacha O'Brien-trained raider finished second in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown last October. Beaten half-a-length by Duke De Sessa that day in the 1m 1f, the son of Ulysses was put away for the winter and made his hotly-anticipated return in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes in April.
Turning the form around with the aforementioned Duke De Sessa, Piz Badile went on to beat his brother Joseph's Buckaroo, while Duke De Sessa was back in third place. A short-head winner that day in the 1m 2f contest, which has often been regarded a leading Irish trial for the Derby, Piz Badile was immediately slashed in the Derby betting, and he will head to Epsom as a leading Irish challenger.
Still open to significant improvement having shown tremendous battling qualities to get his head in front in the Ballysax, Piz Badile is set to be partnered by the legendary Frankie Dettori, who bids for Derby glory once again, and the Italian is sure to play a notable role in the contest.
The last horse to land the Ballysax/Derby double was the Dermot Weld-trained Harzand, who landed the feat in 2016, and Piz Badile will attempt to emulate his fellow Irish raider, and while he will need to continue on an upward curve to land glory, he has shaped like he could play a notable role in the contest. He may lack the class to dominate the event, but he has shown he can pull out all the stops when in a battle, so should it turn into a real scrap in the closing stages then he could well play a primary role in the finish.
#AD 18+ New UK customers only. Min £10 first deposit using Debit Card or Bank Transfer. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 2.0 and get a £10 Football Bet Builder token upon settlement. A £10 Multiple token, a £5 Horse Racing Multiple token and a £5 Football Bet Builder token will be credited after 24 hours. A further £10 Free Bet token will be credited 48 hours after the qualifying bet has been settled. Full T&Cs apply, GambleAware.org.