AIDAN O’Brien has indicated that new 2025 Betfred Derby favourite The Lion In Winter could be targeted at the Goffs Million on September 28th after a highly-impressive debut success at the Curragh last weekend.

The Ballydoyle handler outlined long-range plans for his high-class team of two-year-olds, which have been operating at close to a 33% strike rate in 2024, at Leopardstown on Thursday after Bedtime Story maintained her unbeaten record in the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes.

The Lion In Winter earned rave reviews from Timeform after his impressive debut success in a seven-furlong maiden on Irish Oaks day.

According to the ratings organisation, from each Derby winner that Aidan O’Brien has trained, only Galileo (107p) and City Of Troy (102p) held higher Timeform ratings at this stage of their career than the Sea The Stars colt, who was handed an introductory Timeform figure of 100p.

The €375,000 yearling purchase from Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale is already priced between 10/1 and 14/1 at the head of the market for Epsom glory.

O’Brien said: “The Lion In Winter is in the Goffs Million. He might have a run before it, it could be the Futurity Stakes, but he just needs one run in between. We’ll see what happens.”

On some of his other leading two-year-olds, he added: “Bedtime Story might go for the Debutante at the Curragh on the way to the Moyglare Stakes.

Whistlejacket aim

“We were thinking of going to the Phoenix Stakes or the Prix Morny with Fairy Godmother but Whistlejacket might take that slot now [after winning the July Stakes at Newmarket], so I won’t rush with her. Whistlejacket is a real fast two-year-old.

“Henri Matisse [who won the Railway Stakes last time] is going to go to the Futurity Stakes on his way to the National Stakes. We’re going to go up to seven furlongs with him next.”

The form of Lake Victoria’s Curragh maiden win at the Irish Derby Festival was franked by runner-up Red Letter bolting up in a maiden at the same venue last weekend.

O’Brien said of the exciting Frankel filly: “Lake Victoria will probably end up in the Moyglare Stakes, though she could end up in the Debutante on the way with Bedtime Story for experience.”