A 12th Epsom Derby, and an unprecedented four-in-a-row in British racing’s Blue Riband, looks firmly within Aidan O’Brien’s grasp on Saturday. Ante-post favourite Benvenuto Cellini tops a seven-strong Ballydoyle entry after Monday’s latest acceptance stage for the 247th Derby. Pierre Bonnard and Causeway are also in the septet ahead of final 72-hour declarations, taking place on Wednesday. O’Brien’s son Joseph has Ireland’s other shot in the shape of the Leopardstown Trial winner James J Braddock. However, on the back of his historic clean sweep of Sunday’s French Derby at Chantilly, momentum appears to be firmly with the Ballydoyle bandwagon.Benvenuto Cellini is a general 7/4 shot to land the spoils at Epsom with Pierre Bonnard viewed as a potent second-string for the trainer who has dominated the Derby like no one else. Lambourn was a second-string winner under Wayne Lordan a year ago on the back of victories for Auguste Rodin (2023) and City Of Troy (2024). It equalled O’Brien’s feat in becoming the first to saddle a Derby hat-trick between 2012 and 2014 through Camelot, Ruler Of The World and Australia. Now, there’s an opportunity to go one better. The unbeaten Dante winner Item is set to lead the home team, with Colin Keane again teaming up with trainer Andrew Balding for Juddmonte’s son on Frankel. The Lingfield Trial winner Maltese Cross is another cross-channel hopeful.But having put his tactical stamp on Sunday’s Prix Du Jockey Club in such memorable fashion, the O’Brien team’s strength in depth could once again be a significant factor. Maltese Cross (right) is a cross-channel hopeful for Saturday's Epsom Derby. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Action and Christmas Day, second and third in Dante, are possible starters, as is Endorsement, who has been placed in a couple of Trial races. Proposition was runner-up to Benvenuto Cellini in last month’s Chester Vase.“We’re happy with the horses so far, but these races are so competitive and so hard to win. First of all, you are hoping you get there and then just hope they run good races. “So, we’re happy with the horses for Epsom and we’re thinking of running the horses that finished second and third in the Dante, along with the Chester Vase winner [Benvenuto Cellini] and Pierre Bonnard,” O’Brien said on Monday.The French Derby clean sweep was another vivid demonstration of his sway in major European classics. Twice, in 2020 and 2023, he’s had the first four in the Irish Derby, and the first three on six occasions. In 2016 he did the same in an English classic when Minding beat a pair of stable mates in the 1000 Guineas.“We’re delighted with what happened at Chantilly, and hopefully they run well again next weekend. But we never take it for granted, and always hope and then see what is going to happen. We try to get them there as good as we can and hopefully they will get there and run good races.“When it happens, it’s incredible, and everything is brilliant and unbelievable. But believe me, it is very difficult to even try to make it happen, and all we can do is try to do our best and then hope for the best,” O’Brien added.Ground conditions at Epsom on Monday were good to firm and good in places on the Derby course. After a prolonged dry period during which watering took place, forecasts of up 20mm of rain could fall up to Tuesday evening.Trainer Aidan O’Brien has strong contenders for both Saturday's Epsom Derby and Friday's Epsom Oaks. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho O’Brien has also a major shot at an 11th win in Friday’s Epsom Oaks, with the choice between Amelia Earhart and Precise likely to provide Ryan Moore with another enviable big-race headache.However, the Englishman seems likely to team up with Jan Bruegel rather than last year’s Derby hero Lambourn in Saturday’s Coronation Cup. Jan Bruegel came out on top in a memorable duel with Calandagan in last year’s race, the last time the French star was beaten. Since then, Calandagan has gone on to become the world’s highest rated racehorse and scored a fifth successive Group One success in Dubai in March. Both horses are among just eight entries left in the Coolmore-sponsored race, the prize money for which has been boosted to £1 million (€1.15 million).Also among the eight entries is Karl Burke’s progressive colt Convergent, racing in the colours of Newtown Anner Stud, whose owner Maurice Regan last month filed a High Court action against Coolmore supremo John Magnier. The US-based businessman alleged a breach of competition law after he was barred from using Coolmore Stud and an equine hospital in which Magnier has ownership interests. The two billionaires clashed in 2023 over rival bids for the Barne Estate farm near Clonmel.In other news, Philip Byrnes has until close of business on Tuesday to lodge any appeal against his 21-day ban for dangerous riding at Limerick last week.The suspension came after Byrnes’ mount – the well-backed 11/8 favourite Marian Avenue, trained by the jockey’s father, Charles – was disqualified from first in a handicap hurdle after an incident at the second-last flight.The rare verdict of dangerous riding generated the minimum permitted penalty from the Limerick stewards as it was Byrnes’ first breach of interference rules in Ireland in the last six months. However, he was twice suspended for careless riding at Haydock last month.