Darren Norris: Epsom Derby revolves around City of Troy
EPSOM DERBY: The 245th running of the Derby revolves largely around which City Of Troy rocks up. Pic: Healy Racing
The 245th running of the Derby revolves largely around which City Of Troy rocks up. If it’s the superstar juvenile of last season, he will surely win as this looks a pretty average renewal of the world’s most famous Classic.
The obvious concern with City Of Troy is his deplorable display in the 2000 Guineas and the subsequent unconvincing explanations for that no-show.
Being drawn in stall one is a further negative. Should he bomb out again, unbeaten stablemate LOS ANGELES looks the horse most likely to capitalise and, with the step up to a mile and half likely to eke out further improvement, a career-best effort is anticipated.
At bigger odds, the unexposed Voyage may be able to hit the frame.
: James Fanshawe
: Rab Havlin
: 111
: 7-1
: 6/10 Looked anything but a potential Derby winner when fourth in a Listed contest on his reappearance but took a giant leap in the right direction when winning the Lingfield Derby Trial in a good time last month.
Charlie Appleby
: William Buick
: 115
: 11-2
: 6/10 A Group 1 winner as a two-year old but firmly put in his place by Economics in the Dante.
The fact Dubawi has yet to sire a Derby winner is another negative, as is the stat that no horse has won the race from stall 11
: Andrew Balding
: Oisin Murphy
: 104
: 25-1
: 5/10 Won just one of his four starts as a two-year-olds but did win the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in April so the unique demands of the track shouldn’t faze him.
The opposition might though.
: Aidan O’Brien
: Ryan Moore
124
: 7-2
: 8/10 Majestic in an unbeaten juvenile campaign, the Justify colt was woeful in the 2000 Guineas and is on a redemption mission here. He could rout his rivals but, equally, he could bomb out tamely.
: Adrian Murray
: David Egan
: 106
: 40-1
: 6/10 A shock winner of the Ballysax Stakes on heavy ground at Leopardstown in April but conditions will be far less testing here. A record of one win from five starts as a two year-old doesn’t scream Derby winner
: Roger Teal
: Dylan Browne McMonagle
: 113
: 12-1
: 5/10 A shade unlikely when runner up in the French Guineas and while breeding suggests the Camelot colt should be better over further, the evidence to date suggests speed is more his forte than stamina.
: Owen Burrows
: Jim Crowley
: 109
: 25-1
3/10 Got off the mark at the fifth time of asking when scoring at Windsor in April but his previous form includes a defeat in a four-runner race at Chelmsford when the Camelot colt was sent off the 1-5 favourite. One to avoid
: Aidan O’Brien
Declan McDonagh
: 103
33-1
: 3/10 The Frankel colt did the donkey work for stablemate Los Angeles in the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown last month and further pace making duties await at Epsom.
Unlikely to figure at the finish.
9 GOD’S WINDOW
: John and Thady Gosden
: Kieran Shoemark
: 107
: 100-1
: 2/10 Began his three-year-old campaign with an easy win at cramped odds in Nottingham but has since disappointed twice and it’s all-but impossible to make a coherent argument that he can land a blow here.
: Richard Hughes
: Richard Kingscote
: -
: 100-1
: 1/10 Yet to run on turf, yet to run in daylight, and yet to run this season, the only positive thing that can be said about the Awtaad colt is that he’s unexposed. Impossible to make any sort of case for
: Aidan O’Brien
: Wayne Lordan
: 111
: 4-1
s: 8/10 A Group 1 winner on just his second start, the Camelot colt is one of only two unbeaten colts in the Derby line-up having won his trial at Leopardstown on his seasonal reappearance.
Big player.
: Ralph Beckett
: Rossa Ryan
: 107
: 14-1
: 7/10 A similar profile to 2022 Derby third Westover, this son of Sea The Stars began his campaign by finishing second in the Classic Trial at Sandown in April and boasts solid each-way claims here.
: Dominic French Davis
: Sean Levey
: 86
s: 150-1
: 1/10 Winless in three starts for Roger Varian, the Amo Racing-owned colt looks completely out of his depth in this company. The fact he’s sired by Galileo is a positive but it’s the only one.
: Andrew Balding
: Tom Marquand
: 102
: 66-1
: 2/10 Seven career starts have yielded a single win and those stats are unlikely to improve in this company. History is also against him as no horse has ever won the Derby from stall two.
: Tom Clover
: James Doyle
: -
: 100-1
: 2/10 Another Camelot colt, this horse was supplemented for the Derby at a cost of £75,000 (€88,000) on Monday on the back of an all-weather maiden win at Chelmsford last month.
This looks a colossal ask.
: Richard Hannon
: Pat Dobbs
: -
: 20-1
: 7/10 Unraced as a two-year-old, the Golden Horn colt defied odds of 18-1 when scoring on debut at Newbury in April. He doesn’t have the profile of a Derby winner but is completely unexposed and a fascinating contender on that basis.
