Epsom Derby Guide - 04/07/20

The current Epsom Derby favourite English King has a huge chance for trainer Ed Walker but having been given Stall 1 it makes things a lot harder.

The three year old bounced onto the racing scene back in October finishing a modest seventh in a novice contest at Newmarket but since that run which seemed to kick him into gear, he has been unstoppable.

He broke his maiden tag at Newmarket, which has been the home of unleashing smart horses in the past and off the back of that win he started his 2020 campaign off in superb style with a decisive win at Lingfield in the Listed Derby Trial.

The son of Camelot was ridden by Tom Marquand that day and it was thought the up and coming rider would get the ride in the Group One at Epsom but with Frankie Dettori with no other ride he was taken off English King and the Italian will now sit on the favourite.

Kameko on form is the horse to beat heading into this race having landed back to back Group One victories in his last two runs and if staying out the trip has to be seriously feared.

The three year old at the back end of his juvenile career beat a decent field of youngsters at Newcastle in the Vertem Futurity Stakes.

On his seasonal reappearance he ripped apart an even better field in the 2000 Guineas showing some serious pace to beat the other runners.

It all comes down to whether the track will suit him and if he can go be on the bridle two furlongs out and if he is, he will take all the beating.

Russian Emperor looks to have one of he strongest chances for the O'Brien team who have entered six runners into the contest.

The son of Galileo has raced four times during his career, once as a juvenile finishing third of 12 in a fair maiden over seven furlongs.

He has gone on to race three times this year, getting off the mark at Naas in a 17 runner maiden and then finishing second in the Group Three Derby Trial Stakes.

He looked like he needed that run and he came on massively for that in the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes staying out the trip really well.

The step up to 1 mile 4 furlongs will suit him and if getting a bit of rain will be heavily feared.

The three year old has one of the best pedigrees in the race and now with a run under his belt will be sure to give a good account of himself at a trip that is set to suit.

Mogul was a bright juvenile landing two contests including the Group Two Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and then finishing a decent fourth in the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes at Newcastle.

A mile and a half or further looked to be the prerogative for this colt and having finished fourth in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, he will come on for that run.

It looks as if he will not want any rain and having been bought as a Derby horse he finally gets to have a go at the Classic event.

Vatican City is a full brother to the English & Irish 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles and having finished a very good second in the Irish 2000 Guineas he can't be overlooked.

After that run in the Irish Classic it looked as if he was crying out for a step up in trip showing that the further he went the more he was gaining on the leader.

The quicker the ground the better for this colt and at 9/1 for top connections it would not be a surprise if he made the frame.

Highland Chief announced himself as Derby contender when scoring on his seasonal return at Ascot in the Golden Gates Handicap Over 1 mile 2 furlongs.

The ground was soft that day and he would obviously appreciate any rain to fall before now and Saturday but if improving for that run he should run a good race.

Having previously finished third behind Pinatubo he holds a decent form line and it looks like the step up in trip will suit.

Pyledriver is another that not many would have given him a chance to win the Derby a few weeks back but the three year old has continuously progressed this season and should run a huge race at a double figure price.

This season the William Muir trained colt has turned into a different animal from his juvenile career, finishing second in the Classic Trial at Kempton and then going on to land the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Again, like some in the field, if any rain came before the race it would be a positive for him and he may just be the surprise package this year.

David Simcock has not had the best of starts to the season but he will be hoping his colt can run a big race in the Derby off the back of a nice return to racing when third in the King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot.

He obviously has to reverse the form with Pyledriver but with that being his first run of the season and his trainer expressing he may have needed it, we can expect more to come from the horse.

The son of Australia cost £520,000 as a yearling and holds big potential but although looking progressive may find some to good here.

Serpentine is another of O'Brien's assault on the race and we all know about this trainer and his bigger priced horses running stormers.

The colt took some time to take to racing but showed on his last run that there is some potential when landing a maiden at the Curragh over 1 mile two furlongs.

He seemed to enjoy the fast ground that day and may just need some pace up front to get into the contest.

Andrew Balding's second runner in the Classic is not without a chance having landed the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes on seasonal return.

He has shown versatility in three of his runs to date winning on both good and soft ground so whatever the conditions he should go well and leading rider Tom Marquand has been booked to ride which is a positive.

British trainer Hugo Palmer will saddle his first ever runner in the Investec Epsom Derby on Saturday with Emissary looking to make history for him.

The son of Kingman is bred to go over the mile and a half in the Epsom Classic contest being a half-brother to Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Workforce.

The Prince Khalid Abdullah owned three year old has only been seen on a race-track twice, winning impressively on debut at Wolverhampton, but he could only manage second on his seasonal return a few weeks back in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes, finishing behind the Andrew Balding trained Khalifa Sat.

He looks a very talented horse but has not shown enough to warrant him going close in this field.

Harry Bentley jumps aboard Max Vega who is a big price and unless rapid improvement from his first run of the season he may just get left behind.

As a juvenile the son of Lope De Vega Finished second on debut at Salisbury, he then went on to land back to back races at Pontefract and Newmarket, but on his reappearance he looked very sluggish.

The return to turf is a big positive but he is a big price for a reason and may find it difficult to enter the frame.

Another Aidan O'Brien runner at a big price but this son of 2012 Derby winner Camelot looks to have it all to do.

He has shown signs that he can be a useful horse but this is not the race to come into looking to find some form and off the back of his fifth of six runners at the Curragh last time out, he is opposable.

The last of the Ballydoyle maestro's brigade is Amhran Na Bhfiann and William Buick picks up the ride.

At odds of 50/1 and having shown very little in terms of progression in both his runs to date it would take a miracle for him to be involved.

He looks to be the Aidan O'Brien pace angle in the race that will go from the front and help the other runners get a nice rhythm.

Surprisingly John Gosden doesn't have a stand out Derby horse this year and with Martin Harley set to ride and Frankie not, it suggests that he does not have much chance in this contest.

He looked like a bright spark on debut, winning a 10 furlong event at Newbury on good ground but this race is a huge step up from that and he will need to have improved over a stone in the handicap to be involved.

The final runner in the Epsom Derby comes from Jessica Harrington and Gold Maze is the biggest price of the entries at 66/1.

The colt has placed in Group Two and Three races as a juvenile and this season but having finished a poor sixth in the Irish Derby, this looks a bit hard for him.

There is also no guarantee he will stay the trip and looks a slight punt in the dark from the female trainer.