Just over two months out from its beginning, there remain 72 horses in contention for the Epsom Derby, England’s premier Classic. They are headlined by the talking horse of this flat season, City Of Troy, Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten juvenile who made such an outstanding impression last season.
A winner of two races at Newmarket, one on the July Course and one on the Rowley Mile, his victories included the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and a powerful front-running performance in the Dewhurst Stakes. A full brother to the yard’s Bertinelli, who stayed 1m4f when third in last season’s King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, both his breeding and his finishing application give him every chance of lasting the distance over Epsom’s undulations.
City Of Troy is far from the only strong possibility for Ballydoyle in the race. Henry Longfellow is likewise undefeated in three starts, also taking the maiden, Group 2, Group 1 route. He has won by gradually widening margins each time, winning the Futurity Stakes by two lengths from Islandsinthestream and then beating the same horse by five lengths in the National Stakes. He is a son of Oaks and 1,000 Guineas winner Minding.
Euphoric, Los Angeles and Ocean Of Dreams are all fellow O’Brien inmates who are yet to taste defeat. The second-named won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 1m2f to end his season, while the other pair are maiden winners who have shaped with significant potential.
The main dangers to O’Brien defending the Derby crown he won with Auguste Rodin a year ago may well come from Charlie Appleby and Godolphin. Ancient Wisdom is a Group 1 winner, taking Doncaster’s Futurity Stakes in commanding fashion after costing 2,000,000 Euros as a yearling, while Arabian Crown has won his last three, including the Group 3 Zetland Stakes over 1m2f, a race which is often a good indicator of stamina.
Outside of the giant operations, Ghostwriter has won three out of three, sweeping aside the field in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket, while Anzac Day won his second start authoritatively for Andrew Balding. International flavour could be provided by Roadshow for Andre Fabre, while Justin Milano has been given an entry for Japan’s Yasuo Tomomichi.
Latest 2024 Betfred Derby Odds:
| Horse | Trainer | Best Odds |
| City Of Troy | Aidan O’Brien | 15/8 |
| Henry Longfellow | Aidan O’Brien | 8/1 |
| Ancient Wisdom | Charlie Appleby | 10/1 |
| Arabian Crown | Charlie Appleby | 12/1 |
| Diego Velazquez | Aidan O’Brien | 16/1 |
| Los Angeles | Aidan O’Brien | 20/1 |
| Ocean Of Dreams | Aidan O’Brien | 20/1 |
| Ghostwriter | Clive Cox | 25/1 |
| Grosvenor Square | Aidan O’Brien | 25/1 |
| Roadshow | Andre Fabre | 25/1 |
| 33/1 BAR |
1000 Guineas Odds – Ylang Ylang Narrow Favourite for Fillies’ Opening Classic
48 fillies remain in contention for the 2024 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday, 5th May. They are headlined by the last name on the current racecard, Ylang Ylang, who won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile for Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore at the end of last season. The daughter of Frankel improved throughout her juvenile…
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