If one is betting on Australia to win the Epsom Derby on Saturday at Epsom Downs in England, and the colt is the heavy antepost favorite, one is betting as much on trainer Aidan O’Brien and the reputation of his operation as the animal himself.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien can win the Epsom Oaks for the fifth time Friday at Epsom Downs, but his leading chance, Marvellous, has no decided edge on several others in the 17-horse field.

Marvellous won the Irish 1000 Guineas in her most recent start, but that was a one-mile race on soft ground, and on Friday, she will attempt to tackle 1 1/2 miles on the tricky left-handed Epsom course, which is forecast to be good for Friday’s card, and over which none of the Oaks runners has yet raced.

John Hills, who trained a Group 1 winner in Europe, as well as Docksider, who was third in the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Mile, died of pancreatic cancer Sunday, according to press reports in England.

Hills was 53 and active as a trainer in recent weeks. His stable was based in Lambourn, west of London.

Docksider was the most prominent runner Hills sent to the U.S., finishing a neck and a head behind Silic in the 1999 BC Mile at Gulfstream Park. Docksider later won the 1999 Hong Kong Mile.

One and Only, fourth in the Japanese 2000 Guineas in April, outfinished favored Isla Bonita to win Sunday’s $4,137,707 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, One and Only closed from sixth in a field of 17 to reach contention early in the stretch of the Grade 1 Japanese Derby over 1 1/2 miles on turf. Isla Bonita, winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas, took the lead with less than a quarter-mile remaining but was quickly challenged by One and Only.

The Grey Gatsby won the Prix du Jockey Club by three lengths on Sunday at Chantilly, becoming the first England-based horse to land the French Derby since Holding Court did so in 2000.

Isla Bonita, the winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas on April 20, will be favored to win the second leg of that country’s Triple Crown in Sunday’s $4,173,707 Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse.

Isla Bonita is part of a field of 17 in the Japanese Derby, run over 1 1/2 miles on turf. The distance will be a test for Isla Bonita, who won the 2000 Guineas over 1 1/4 miles by 1 1/4 lengths over To the World, another runner in the Japanese Derby.

Prince Gibraltar in his final start at age 2 and first race at 3 looked like the best French horse of his generation, an impression he can confirm Sunday at Chantilly in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club.

Prince Gibraltar finished third in his debut last September but has since won three straight races by a combined 9 1/2 lengths, and after capturing the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud by five lengths last November, he impressively mowed down four foes on May 3 in the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe in his 3-year-old debut and trial for the Prix du Jockey Club.

In April, Nuovo Record was caught in the final strides of the Grade 1 Japanese 1000 Guineas by Harp Star, losing the classic race by a neck. In Sunday’s $2,204,393 Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse, Nuovo Record held off a late challenge from the heavily favored Harp Star to win the first stakes of her career.

Ridden by Yasanuri Iwata, Nuovo Record (8-1) won by a neck after taking the lead with a furlong remaining in the race over 1 1/2 miles on turf. Harp Star, the 3-10 favorite, finished a neck in front of 15-1 Bounce Shasse in the field of 18 3-year-old fillies.

Cirrus des Aigles won for the first time in a $9,000 race on Jan. 29, 2009 at the Cagnes-sur-mer racecourse in the south of France. What a road he has since traveled.

Now 8, Cirrus des Aigles won for the 20^th time on Sunday at Longchamp, leading from start to finish and capturing the Prix d’Ispahan by 1 1/2 lengths over Anodin.

Kingman, the beaten favorite when second May 3 in the English 2000 Guineas, made amends with his first classic win in Saturday’s $376,188 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh.

Ridden by James Doyle, Kingman (4-5) closed from fourth in a field of 11 to win by a comfortable five lengths over 7-1 Shifting Power, the pacesetter and another English import. Mustajeeb (4-1) stalked the pace but could not keep up with Kingman in the final furlong.