Trainer/jockeyOwen Burrows/David Probert, stall 13One of two runners in the green and white silks of Ahmad al Shaikh, whose twin passions in racing appear to be having runners in the Derby and paying as little as possible to buy them. It is a hard approach to knock, however, asKhalifa Sat, at 150-1, andHoo Ya Mal, at 50-1, reached the frame in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
In terms of value at least, the owner has excelled himself here, having paid €7,000 for the son of an obscure stallion Affinisea (so obscure that even his trainer admits he had to look him up when al Shaikh’s latest purchase turned up on his doorstep). That said, a realistic view of his form – unraced at two, three runs since April, one minor win – gives him next to no chance of success, so each-way backers hoping for lightning to strike a third time are relying on the fact that, like his high-achieving predecessors, he can’t read the form book.
John & Thady Gosden/James Doyle, stall 15One of the least experienced in the field with three outings in the book and it showed behind Pride Of Arras in theDante at York last time. He took a few strides to go through the gears, edging left, before running on to finish second, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind the winner. He did not see a racecourse until December and the rough edges in the Dante offer encouragement there is significant improvement to come,. Definitely an unusual profile for a potential Derby winner – maiden win on the all-weather in December, then two defeats at the start of his three-year-old season – but the talent is probably there if this unique test does not prove to be a step too far at this early stage of his career.
Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore, stall 14Effectively confirmed as favourite when Ryan Moore plumped for the ride on Wednesday from three Aidan O’Brien options and there was a lot to like about the way he put nearly three lengths between himself and therunner-up in Leopardstown’s Derby Triallast month. He had solid, progressive form in his juvenile season too, culminating indefeat by a nosein the Group One Futurity at Doncaster, and the 12-furlong trip should be right up his street. The Leopardstown trial has not highlighted a Derby winner since 2002, however, and it was his seventh race, which leaves less room for improvement than most of his opponents Whether the pluses and minuses make him a genuine 3-1 shot is the first question every punter needs to consider. There are tempting options at better odds, and with more room scope for improvement, if they decide against it.
Charlie Johnston/Billy Loughnane, stall eightThe other half ofal Shaikh’s two-pronged attack and his second-string behind Al Wasl Storm according to the betting, although since both are priced in three figures the concept of a first string is perhaps irrelevant. In typical al Shaikh fashion, he cost relative peanuts, having been knocked down for €12,000 as a yearling (Damysus cost nearly 50 times as much). He has already repaid that several times over after finishing one-and-a-half lengths behind Tennessee Storm in a French Group One event last October. Likely to be remembered only as the first Derby ride for the 19-year-old Billy Loughnane, the fastest-rising young star in the weighing room.
Aidan O’Brien/Wayne Lordan, stall 10The third-string in his trainer’s challenge for a record-extending 11th Derby according to the betting, but since only three of O’Brien’s winners set off as the clear favourite, that is perhaps not quite the red flag it may seem. Rain would be in his favour as he stayed on strongly to win the Chester Vase over an extended 12 furlongs last time out and also has winning form on soft ground, albeit in a weak event at the remote French racing outpost of Craon. Likely to be staying on most strongly in the closing stages, though the obvious concern is that a lack of tactical speed early in the race will leave him with too much to do.
Charlie Johnston/Christophe Soumillon, stall threeFinished just over a length behind the winner when second in the Chester Vase last month, which is a near-facsimile of the profile Wings Of Eagles brought beforehis 40-1 Derby victory in 2017.Adayar, in 2021, was another recent winner who was beaten in his trial and with jockey Christophe Soumillon flying in can catch the eye of each-way punters. Any rain will be in his favour.
Francis-Henri Graffard/Mickael Barzalona, stall fourThis year’s race is being run in memory of Aga Khan IV,who died in Februaryand whose five Derby winners as an owner included Shergar, whose 10-length winning margin in 1981 remains the record. This late arrival will carry the same green and red colours to the start. It is clearly asking a lot for him to bring them back again in similar style, but he remains unbeaten after three starts and showeda fine turn of foot to quicken clearin the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in May – the same race Pour Moi, the last French-trained Derby winner and with Mickael Barzalona in the saddle to boot, used as their stepping stone toEpsom immortality in 2011.
Henri Devin/Alexis Pouchin, stall 17The powerful Juddmonte operation stumped up £75k to add Henri Devin’s colt to the field so he has clearly been showing a good deal more at home than he has on the track. He has finished a close third – at Longchamp and Chantilly – on his two outings this year. In the first of those,he was less than a length behind Andre Fabre’s Cualificar, who finished a half-length behind the winner (and from a much wider draw) in the French Derby at Chantilly last Sunday. The 12-furlong trip is also likely to see further improvement. The case in his favour is based on ifs, buts and maybes and he will do well to reach the fourth place required to get his entry fee back.
Richard Hannon/Jamie Spencer, stall nineSet off as an unfancied 9-1 shot for theLingfield Derby Trial– which looks below-par this year – and was beaten nearly four lengths behind Aidan O’Brien’s Puppet Master, who was taken out of this race before the final declarations. Has masses of stamina in his pedigree but rather less of the speed a Derby winner needs to go with it. The St Leger already looks a more convincing option even if he is up to running in Group One company (and the jury is out on that too).
John & Thady Gosden/Tom Marquand, stall fiveFinished fifth of 11 in the Dante Stakes at York last month, three-and-a-half lengths behind Pride Of Arras and two-and-a-quarter behind his stable companion, Damysus. Since that was his fifth start there is no obvious reason why he should improve past either of those colts, who have fewer miles on the clock. Bare form does not tell the whole story as he fell out of the stalls and was well off the pace before making eye-catching progress. He joined Damysus on a jaunt down the hill and around Tattenham Corner on gallops morning last week and handled the track well. He seems sure to improve for the mile-and-a-half trip and a top-four finish may not be beyond him.
Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan, stall 16A skim through the list of Derby winners of the past 25 years may suggest the days when a small owner-breeder could mix it with the big guns from Godolphin, Coolmore and Juddmonte are long gone. This year’s Dante Stakes winner, though, may beg to differ. David and Vimy Aykroyd have four mares at their Yorkshire stud farm and their once-raced colt by up-and-coming sire New Bay was an 18-1 shot for his trial at York. He showed all the attributes you would look for in a Derby winner – tactical speed, balance, a turn of foot and a willingness to quicken between horses – on the way to victory. His best days are ahead of him with two runs in the book. Soft ground could be a concern – though the same is true for many of his rivals – but he stayed on well on Knavesmire, should get the trip and is a must for any shortlist.
James Owen/Luke Morris, stall oneAs ever, there is a scattering of runners ithat are seemingly there mainly to give their owners a day out. While James Owen is very much one of the trainers of the moment, with a number of decent winners on the Flat and over jumps since taking out a licence three seasons ago, this syndicate-owned runner seems to fall squarely into that category. Well beaten in the Lingfield Trial and the slimmest hope of any on that form. Last of six in what looked a poor renewal of that race last time and while a repeat of his winning form in a maiden in April should be enough to finish in front of Al Wasl Storm – who was a length-and-a-quarter away in second – the other 18 runners will be more of a problem.
Charlie Appleby/William Buick, stall sevenA Classic winner already inthe 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket last monthand the form of that race received a significant boost when City Of Gold, the runner-up, ran away with the Irish equivalent a couple of weeks ago. That is more than enough to send him to Epsom at the top of the ratings –Timeformhas him 4lb clear – but the obvious question is whether his stamina will stretch to another half-mile. The recent record of Guineas winners in the Derby is distinctly mixed with the past three – Dawn Approach, Saxon Warrior and Kameko – all beaten after setting off as favourite. If he stays, he will probably win. If he does not, he certainly won’t.
Simon & Ed Crisford/Harry Davies, stall 18The only runner in the field with a “C” – for previous course winner – against his name, thanks to a narrow success in the Blue Riband Trial over 10 furlongs in April and this is a track that can take some getting used to, running downhill at speed. That is pretty much the only tick in a positive box and the same was true of many previous winners of the same race (in recent years, it has guaranteed a place in the Derby lineup so there is often no reason not to run). The last Blue Riband winner to follow up was Blue Peter in 1939.
Ralph Beckett/Hector Crouch, stall twoThere has been plenty of attention on the trainer’s prime contender, Pride Of Arras, but less of a focus on his second string, who has had an unconventional preparation but has some interesting form. The most obvious is a close second behind Delacroix in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last October and it is notable that Beckett has made every effort to get him to the post, even persuading Salisbury to stage a race at an evening meeting last month that would give him much-needed prep for the Classic. Stanhope Gardens duly made short work of two opponents and there is little doubt his trainer sees him as a serious contender. Well adrift of his stable companion in the betting and the ratings, but probably close to the top of many punters’ lists for each-way purposes.
Joseph O’Brien/Dylan Browne McMonagle, stall 12A Group One winner as a two-year-old in the Critérium de Saint-Cloud, a race that has been won by plenty of top-class colts on the way to a glittering three-year-old career. So far so good in terms of his record at the highest level – Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, is the only other in the field with a previous Group One success. On the downside, last season’s Critérium – when Green Storm was second – had three runners and was probably the weakest in the race’s history. Returned to action in Leopardstown’s Derby trial, where he finished around six-and-a-half lengths behind Delacroix. He was noticeably weak in the market beforehand – the implication being that he should improve significantly for the run – but seven lengths is probably asking too much.
Aidan O’Brien/Colin Keane, stall 19The undoubted enigma of the race, not least as his trainer’s Derby winners in the past two seasons have been bouncing back from disappointing runs on seasonal debuts. Unlike Auguste Rodin in 2023 and City Of Troy last year, however, The Lion In Winter has been passed over by Ryan Moore after surrendering his unbeaten record with a tame sixth behind Pride Of Arras in the Dante at York. He is bred to appreciate the step up in trip and handed Ruling Court the only defeat of his career, in the Acomb Stakes at York last August, but will struggle to get home if he again fails to settle. A draw in the widest stall may not help in that regard. Respected if only because he has the initials “A.P.O’B” on his saddlecloth, but the Moore Factor – or rather, the lack-of-Moore Factor – has to be a concern.
Saeed bin Suroor/Oisin Murphy, stall 11The racing landscape has changed significantly since Saeed bin Suroor saddled Lammtarra to win the Derby in 1995, in the earliest years of the Godolphin operation. The trainer’s fortunes within the organisation have since waxed and waned, to the point where the man who won four UK trainers’ championships between 1996 and 2004 is now a furlong behind Charlie Appleby, his near-neighbour in Newmarket, in the pecking order. Appleby has won two Derbys since Bin Suroor saddled his most recent runner in 2017 and having landed the Classic at the first attempt three decades ago his 24 runners since have all been beaten. Ran a fine race to finish fourth in the 2,000 Guineas and has Oisin Murphy, the reigning champion jockey, to do the steering. He took a strong hold to lead the field for the first six furlongs at Newmarket and looks more likely to appreciate a drop in trip than a step up to a mile-and-a-half.
Raphael Freire/David Egan, stall sixKia Joorabchian has ploughed millions into his Amo Racing operation in recent seasons and been rewarded with a couple of placings for big outsiders in the Derby, but his only representative in this year’s Classic may struggle. He is, at least, stabled in the right place for a potential winner, as his young handler has taken over at Sir Michael Stoute’s Freemason Lodge stable in Newmarket after the legendary trainer’s retirement at the end of last year. His form is well short of what is likely to be required as he seemed to struggle to get even the 10-furlong trip at York when finishing seventh in the Dante.