On Saturday 1st June 2024 we have the latest edition of the most anticipated contest of the British flat season as a field of the finest three-year-olds in training head to Epsom for the latest renewal of the Derby. First run in 1780, the jewel in the Epsom crown offers a glittering £1.5m in total prize money, plus a golden ticket to a lucrative career at stud for the winner.
Following the final declarations two days before the race, we now have our final field of 16 runners and riders for this huge betting heat. As ever, the powerful Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby, and John & Thady Gosden yards are represented, but the 2024 edition has a wide-open look, with several contenders from smaller operations boasting solid form claims.
Epsom Derby: Confirmed Field of Runners and Riders
| Number | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ambient Friendly | Robert Havlin | James Fanshawe |
| 2 | Ancient Wisdom | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
| 3 | Bellum Justum | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
| 4 | City Of Troy | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien |
| 5 | Dallas Star | David Egan | Adrian Murray |
| 6 | Dancing Gemini | Dylan Brown McMonagle | Roger Teal |
| 7 | Deira Mile | Jim Crowley | Owen Burrows |
| 8 | Euphoric | Declan McDonagh | Aidan O’Brien |
| 9 | God’s Window | Kieran Shoemark | John & Thady Gosden |
| 10 | Kamboo | Richard Kingscote | Richard Hughes |
| 11 | Los Angeles | Wayne Lordan | Aidan O’Brien |
| 12 | Macduff | Rossa Ryan | Ralph Beckett |
| 13 | Mr Hampstead | Sean Levey | Dominic Ffrench Davis |
| 14 | Sayedaty Sadaty | Tom Marquand | Andrew Balding |
| 15 | Tabletalk | James Doyle | Tom Clover |
| 16 | Voyage | Pat Dobbs | Richard Hannon |
Highlights
Already the most successful trainer in Derby history, one more win for Aidan O’Brien would take the Irish Champion Trainer into double figures. The Ballydoyle maestro fires three darts at the prize this time, in the shape of City Of Troy, Los Angeles, and Euphoric. 2023’s Champion Juvenile City Of Troy shades favouritism on most lists despite a complete no-show in the 2000 Guineas. Can he bounce back from Newmarket disappointment a la Auguste Rodin in 2023? Los Angeles sits second in the betting and boasts stronger form from the current season, having stayed on well to land the Leopardstown Derby Trial last time. Euphoric finished second to Los Angeles that day but only has a length to find and may well be suited by the step up from 1m2f.
Successful with Masar (2018) and Adayar (2021), Charlie Appleby has endured a nightmare season with his Derby contenders, with what had looked like a strong team now reduced to a single runner. Ancient Wisdom carries the hopes of the Boys in Blue, having finished second to the exceptional Economics in the Dante Stakes last time. He will need to step up on that, but the additional distance and easy ground may see him in a better light.
In the lead-up to the race, James Fanshawe’s Ambiente Friendly is gathering significant momentum in the market and is into a single-figure price at the time of writing. Owned by The Gredley Family, he lacks the glittering pedigree of a few of these rivals but was amongst the most impressive of the trial winners when slamming the field by four and a half lengths in the Lingfield Derby Trial.
Being by the Derby winner Camelot and out of a mare by the Derby-winning Australia, Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini receives a big tick in the pedigree box. Whilst yet to race beyond a mile, he put in a strong finishing effort to grab second in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulins at Longchamp last time and rates an intriguing contender.
Ralph Beckett backs up his four entries for this year’s Oaks with a sole Derby contender – Macduff. Successful only once in four outings to date, he needs to find improvement but ran a rock solid prep when staying on nicely behind Arabian Crown in the bet365 Classic Trial over 1m2f. By Sea The Stars, connections will hope the additional distance may bring him into contention.
Voyager falls into the “could be anything” category for the Richard Hannon team. Beautifully bred and an effortless winner of his sole start at Newbury, he is being thrown in at the deep end on only his second start but is presumably impressing with his homework.
Bellum Justum has the distinction of being the only course winner in the field, having landed the Blue Riband Trial Stakes at this track in April, whilst Adrian Murray’s Dallas Star would likely be a shorter price if hailing from a bigger yard following his impressive win in the Ballysax Stakes.
Moving further down the list, owner Ahmad Al Shaikh has twice gone close to causing a huge shock in this event, with Hoo Ya Mal finishing second at 150/1 in 2022 and Khalifa Sat filling the runners-up position at 50/1 win 2020 – Deira Mile and Sayedaty Sadaty carry the white and green silks this time.
Finally, 2024 represents the final opportunity for the late Galileo to add another Derby success to his spectacular stud record. However, the market would suggest he is unlikely to do so, with his son Mr Hampstead without a win in three career starts and the rank outsider of the field.
