Welcome to our Epsom Derby tips page. One of the most historic and famous races in the world, it is when we see the best middle distance horses head into battle in a race which requires the ultimate attributes of a racehorse - speed, agility, class and stamina.
Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter continues to be popular with forgiving punters as they keep the faith following his underwhelming performance in the Dante Stakes at York. Seemingly bettors are sticking with Aidan O'Brien following the impressive comeback of City Of Troy last year.
We also have three under-the-radar horse who are a bigger price outside bets
Our editor Vincent Finegan is also backing The Lion in Winter and he has also provided his selections for second and third place. Read on for his thoughts.
After a relatively slow start to the current campaign Aidan O'Brien's horses are now flying and it will be no surprise if he dominates this year’s Derby and records his eleventh victory in the coveted Classic.
O’Brien’s best chance looks to lie with The Lion In Winter, a top class two-year-old who ran much better than his finishing position in the Dante at York would suggest and is expected to come into his own over this one mile four furlong distance.
Stablemate Delacroix arrives with equally strong credentials having already notched up two victories this season in Derby Trials at Leopardstown. His most recent win marks him down as a serious contender for this race.
The lightly-raced Stanhope Gardens is an interesting outsider. He has form from last year with both the subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court and the aforementioned Delacroix and easily landed the odds on his recent comeback run. If he stays this trip he could be a danger to all.
3.301m. 4f. 6yds. 18 Declared.Betfred Derby (In Honour Of His Highness Aga Khan IV) (Group 1) (Class 1 ) of £1,604,000.00 3-y-o
1st - €909,628.00 2nd - €344,860.00 3rd - €172,590.00 4th - €85,974.00 5th - €43,148.00 6th - €21,654.00 Going - Good-Good to Soft in places.
Formscan - From the likes of Shergar to Galileo and Sea The Stars, all the way to City Of Troy, who was breathtaking in this 12 months ago, it takes a real superstar to land the jewel in the crown of the Flat season. Aidan O'Brien's typically strong contingent appears to be headed by Delacroix, whose dam Tepin has already produced a stout stayer in the form of stablemate Grateful - a winner of the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp last season. The Lion In Winter had been long touted for this contest but his no-show in the Dante behind Pride Of Arras (winner) and Damysus (second), along with stall 19, tempers enthusiasm. That pair remain of considerable interest, though 2000 Guineas winner RULING COURT is taken to rubber-stamp his credentials as the leading three-year-old. The Justify colt enters unknown territory regarding stamina, but both trainer and jockey have been extremely bullish in the build up and the pair have seldom been wrong in the past. It would be fitting were Midak, who carries the colours of the late Aga Khan, to feature, and the unbeaten Footstepsinthesand colt should not be taken lightly.
He won last month's Lingfield Trial but Puppet Master is seemingly down the pecking order in the Ballydoyle quartet that remain as possible Derby contenders as Aidan O'Brien seeks a record-extending 11th win.
He scrambled home at Lingfield from stablemate Stay True, with some onlookers feeling he was a fortuitous winner, but he did seemingly have something in hand.
The Camelot colt was behind Delcroix in fourth at Leopardstown in March in the Ballysax Stakes, a race that has worked out exceedingly well. He's entitled to improve again at this trip from his Lingfield run and his trainer is adept at having multiple runners in the mix for these big contests.
His sire won this race in 2012 and a big effort from Puppet Master, at odds of 66/1 at the time of publishing, wouldn't be a total shock.
Ralph Beckett has quite the hand to play at Epsom, with Dante winner Pride Of Arras spearheading his assault on the Derby and Stanhope Gardens set to back him up.
This son of Ghaiyyath won his maiden at Beverley in August last year and was then second, a neck behind Delacroix in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket over the same mile trip in October.
The pair were a long way clear that afternoon and Delacroix is now favourite for this race after winning two key trials at Leopardstown this season, the form from which reads rather well.
Stanhope Gardens could do no more than win in a Conditions event at Salisbury on his comeback and he did so in good style.
Autumn Stakes third Nightwalker was not disgraced in the Dante and, on a line through him, Beckett's second string is no forlorn hope.
Simon & Ed Crisford's son of Sea The Stars won the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in April at odds of 40/1 on his maiden turf start.
He was always handily placed and hung on gamely in the closing stages to repel Trinity College.
Since then, he has been beaten in the Dante, finishing eighth in the end as his effort petered out late on having perhaps been too keen in the early stages.
Not since Blue Peter in 1939 has a winner of the Epsom trial come back and won the Derby itself, so history is against him, but he is bred for this race and the fact he has already handled the course is a plus. He's still trading at a three-figure price and he could outrun those generous odds.
