The Lion In Winter drawn widest of all in Derby

Irish Examiner

04-06-2025

The Lion In Winter will have to defy stall 19 if the one-time ante-post favourite for the Betfred Derby is to bounce back at Epsom, where he has been overlooked by Ryan Moore in favour of Delacroix.
Aidan O'Brien's colt — who will be ridden by Colin Keane — lost his unbeaten record in the Dante and as well as aiming to emulate Workforce in overcoming defeat at York to prevail in the blue riband, he now has the widest draw of all to overcome.
Stablemate and current market leader Delacroix fared only marginally better in stall 14, while O'Brien's third representative, Lambourn, the Chester Vase winner, is in stall 10 under Wayne Lordan.
Charlie Appleby's 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court drew stall seven, as the Godolphin runner attempts to keep his Triple Crown dreams alive.
For the first time ever, the race was subject to 72-hour declarations, with Epsom hoping the change helps to build anticipation ahead of the premier Classic.
There will be a second runner in the Godolphin blue as Saeed bin Suroor's Tornado Alert (11), fourth in the Guineas, also runs for Sheikh Mohammed's operation.
Ralph Beckett's Pride Of Arras arrives unbeaten and a smooth winner of the Dante, which is traditionally one of the strongest trials, but he is posted wide in 16, with stablemate Stanhope Gardens on the inside in two.
John and Thady Gosden also have two contenders with Damysus (15) and Nightwalker (five), who were second and fifth in the Dante.
There are two runners from France in Francis-Henri Graffard's Midak (four) and Henri-Francois Devin's New Ground (17), with the pair both supplemented for the race on Monday.
Midak will sport the famous silks of the Aga Khan Studs in the premier Classic, which is this year run in honour of the late Aga Khan IV, and connections are daring to dream he has the right attributes to justify his £75,000 supplementary fee.
"He's definitely a horse improving with his races and will definitely get the trip," explained Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs.
"We're not sure on his form lines and how it stacks up, but all he can do is win and he's won every start.
"He's going to have to handle the track and he's a big horse with a big, long stride. Mickael Barzalona (jockey) thinks he will handle the track because he's well balanced but you never know until they get there.
"We would be very happy to see him finish in the first three or even first five, but he is a bit of an unknown quantity and he does everything easily at home. It's a little bit of a shot in the dark, but we thought it was worth it."
Charlie Johnston has declared both Lazy Griff (three), second to Lambourn at Chester, and Green Storm (eight), the mount of Billy Loughnane.
Al Wasl Storm (13), Nightime Dancer (nine), Rogue Impact (one), Sea Scout (18), Tennessee Stud (12) and Tuscan Hills (six) complete the list.
Epsom's clerk of the course Andrew Cooper expects the ground to ride on the easy side of good at the weekend.
He said "It's been a difficult spring, it's been so dry, this is my 30th Derby and I've never known such a prolonged dry period.
"It's been challenging, it hasn't been great for grass, it's been constant irrigation just to get where we want to be.
"Here and now I would call it good, that follows 3.5 millimetres of rain yesterday afternoon which was forecast but very localised.
"It looks like another spell of rain is coming tomorrow and Saturday, with the potential to have some heavy showers. It's unsettled for sure. On a raceday it doesn't take a lot to start shifting descriptions.
"I can't see a scenario with ground any quicker than good on Saturday and there's every indication we'll be on the slower side through the two days."