Historic 72-hour final declarations for Epsom Derby aim to generate ‘sense of anticipation and excitement'
The Derby countdown starts with a vengeance this week and a historic landmark is already in place as flat racing's 'Blue Riband' will have 72-hour final declarations for the first time.
In a bid to help generate 'a sense of anticipation and excitement both domestically and globally', Epsom's Jockey Club owners have confirmed the final Derby field will be known three days beforehand.
It is the first Group One race in Britain to put in place such an early final declaration stage, although final fields for some other big global races are known even sooner.
The draw for last Saturday's Kentucky Derby was made the weekend before. Post positions for the Breeders' Cup are assigned on the Monday. Seventy-two-hour declarations are also made for the Japan Cup.
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'Having consulted with a range of stakeholders on this issue we are confident that this change will not only help build anticipation for the world's most famous Flat race earlier in the week, but also provide more certainty around the runners and riders on the day, driving more interest and engagement in advance of the start of the Betfred Derby Festival,' Epsom's general manager Jim Allen said.
'We are hugely grateful to the British Horseracing Authority for their co-operation and help in order to make this change happen at relatively short notice, and to all those participants who have supported us in making this move.
'This racecourse has been at the forefront of positive change and new initiatives in British horse racing for generations, with the Derby becoming the first race to be filmed back in 1896 and then the first sporting event to be broadcast in 1931.'
Trainer Aidan O'Brien is delighted after City Of Troy wins the Betfred Derby at Epsom last June. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty
It is more than four weeks to the Derby on June 7th and the coming 10 days are crammed with traditional trial races.
Aidan O'Brien
sends both Lambourn and Thrice to Wednesday's Chester Vase, which was won by the Irishman's Ruler Of The World before going on to Epsom glory in 2013. Another of O'Brien's record 10 Derby winners, Wings Of Eagles, was runner up in the Vase in 2017.
O'Brien has won six of the last seven renewals of the Dee Stakes on Thursday. On Saturday there is the Lingfield Derby Trial, a race won by O'Brien's subsequent Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck in 2019.
Acapulco Bay is one of four
Ballydoyle
entries for that before the trial focus switches to
Leopardstown
on Sunday.
Next week the Dante is being held at York where O'Brien's The Lion In Winter, a general 7/2 favourite for Epsom, is set to make his first start of the season. The last of O'Brien's four Dante winners was Cape Blanco in 2010.
Wayne Lordan rides The Lion in Winter at the Curragh last July. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
The Derby trial glut comes with most of the Guineas season still to come. It continues in Paris on Sunday where the French 2,000 and 1,000 will be up for grabs at Longchamp. Godolphin's sweep of last weekend's classic prizes in both Newmarket and Kentucky will up the ante on the French prizes.
Henri Matisse is a 3/1 favourite with some firms to give O'Brien a sixth success in the colts' classic, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, and a first since St Mark's Basilica in 2021. The Lagardere winner Camille Pissarro is also in the mix as is Jessica Harrington's Futurity winner Hotazhell.
In other news, Cork stages its own Derby on Tuesday evening, an €45,000 handicap, although it is Babouche who will bring Group One quality to proceedings when lining up for the Listed Polonia Stakes.
Last year's Phoenix Stakes heroine made a winning debut at the Mallow track as a juvenile and she sports a first-time tongue-strap for her first start of 2025. Her 113 rating is a standout in a contest that also features last year's Group Two scorer Truly Enchanting, although Ger Lyons admits to struggling with Babouche fitness-wise.
'I'm just struggling to get her fit. If you see her tomorrow, she's carrying a lot of condition. I changed tack as I was going straight to Naas [Lacken Stakes] working back from the Commonwealth Cup, but I'm just not getting her fit,' he said on Monday. 'I would be surprised if she got beat, being a Group One winner, but from what I'm seeing she could very well get beat.'
There is a Group One element to Tuesday's 'Derby' too as topweight Westminster Moon, placed third in a top-flight German contest last year, had success in the 2023 Polish Derby.
The Irish-bred changed hands for €260,000 last winter and had a first run for Tony Martin at Cork last month behind Apercu. It will be the regally bred grey Saturn that will appeal more to many on this occasion.
Later on the Cork card, Westminster Moon's half-sister Inventress makes her debut in a 10-furlong maiden while Zahrann could be the one to beat in the finale.
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Irish Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Aidan O'Brien Derby update as trainer speaks on his Epsom runners
Ryan Moore is leaning towards riding Delacroix over his stablemate The Lion In Winter in Saturday's Betfred Derby, with a final decision on his Epsom mount to be made before Wednesday lunchtime. The Lion In Winter led the ante-post lists for the premier Classic during the winter months, but an interrupted spring campaign and a sixth-place finish in his Dante Stakes comeback have dented his reputation, despite the Sea The Stars colt remaining prominent in the betting. However, Delacroix – who has impressed by winning both of his starts at Leopardstown this season – became the Derby favourite after trainer Aidan O'Brien said last week "I would imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride him". During a media Zoom call hosted by the Jockey Club on Tuesday, O'Brien was again asked if he expected Moore to choose the son of Dubawi, and said: "I think so, it's very hard to know and obviously he doesn't have to makeup his mind until 1pm tomorrow. "Ryan will always ride the horse he thinks he has the best chance, that's always been his way regardless and that's the way it has to be. "Ryan rides the horse we think is going to win, sometimes we're right and sometimes we're wrong, but he looks at their ability, where they are the suitability of the horse for the race and tries to get on the one he thinks is going to win. "Obviously no one gets that right all the time, so we'll just have to see how it goes." O'Brien has made it clear that he won't be nudging Moore towards any particular choice, stating: "No, I think you have to be very clear thinking all the time, you have to make calculated decisions all the time and you can't let your heart rule your head. That's what we always try to do really." O'Brien is gearing up for a three-horse push in his quest for an 11th Derby triumph with Delacroix and The Lion In Winter poised to join Chester Vase victor Lambourn. Wayne Lordan and Colin Keane are set to mount the other two horses, with Moore yet to announce his ride. O'Brien anticipates a spirited race from Delacroix this weekend and suggests aggressive racing tactics might continue, adding: "I'd imagine so, that will be Ryan's decision if he rides him. He's a straightforward horse and uncomplicated we think, so I would imagine if he does ride him he'll probably ride him forward. He'll decide that himself when the gates open. "His sister by Galileo (Grateful) got a mile and six (furlongs) well and as everybody knows he's by Dubawi. You never know until you do it, but we always thought there was a good chance that he would get the mile and a half." With regards to The Lion In Winter, despite possibly being the secondary choice from Ballydoyle, O'Brien is optimistic of a significant improvement following the horse's last outing at the Dante stakes. The trainer expressed optimism about the horse's progress since York, saying: "We think he's made good progress since York, which we obviously thought he would. He was only just ready to start that day and you're probably better off in a trial knowing that you're going to come forward and everything goes wrong, rather than running in a trial when you think you're fit and everything goes right. "He was a bit fresh and a bit behind fitness-wise but everything has gone well since, we got a run into him, it looked like he was going to get a mile and a quarter well, he got a little bit of interference in the straight and Ryan looked after him. If he hadn't got that he might have been third and if he hadn't have run a little bit keen early he might have been closer. "This is only going to be his second run and you'd imagine whatever he does he's going to come forward again." The trainer will also be triple handed in Friday's Betfred Oaks, with Cheshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, Lingfield Oaks Trial scorer Giselle and Musidora Stakes victor Whirl appearing three of the biggest threats to Charlie Appleby's 1000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower. "I'd imagine Ryan will probably ride Minnie Hauk, but obviously that could change if he changes his mind tomorrow," O'Brien revealed. "We liked her last year, she had two runs and won the second time. She's a lovely, straightforward filly and we think she's come forward loads from Chester." Speaking on the significance of the two Epsom Classics, the trainer stated: "They're obviously vital, it's where the whole thoroughbred breed is gauged. "The Derby and the Oaks are the most important races for colts and fillies of the year and for the three-year-old generation."
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
O'Brien still expects Delacroix to be Moore's Derby mount
Ryan Moore appears increasingly likely to side with Delacroix over stablemate The Lion In Winter in Saturday's Betfred Derby, with a final decision on his Epsom mount to be made before Wednesday lunchtime. The Lion In Winter spent the winter months at the head of ante-post lists for the premier Classic, and while an interrupted spring campaign and a sixth-place finish on his Dante Stakes comeback dented his reputation, the Sea The Stars colt has remained prominent in the betting. However, Delacroix — who has impressed in winning each of his two starts at Leopardstown so far this season — hardened as Derby favourite after trainer Aidan O'Brien said last week "I would imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride him". On a media Zoom call hosted by the Jockey Club on Tuesday, O'Brien was again asked if he expected Moore to side with the son of Dubawi, and said: "I think so, it's very hard to know and obviously he doesn't have to make up his mind until 1pm tomorrow. "Ryan will always ride the horse he thinks he has the best chance, that's always been his way regardless and that's the way it has to be. "Ryan rides the horse we think is going to win, sometimes we're right and sometimes we're wrong, but he looks at their ability and tries to get on the one he thinks is going to win. "Obviously no one gets that right all the time, so we'll just have to see how it goes." On whether he would try to sway Moore in one direction or another, he added: "No, I think you have to be very clear thinking all the time, you have to make calculated decisions all the time and you can't let your heart rule your head. That's what we always try to do really." O'Brien plans to fire a three-pronged assault in his bid for an 11th Derby success, with Delacroix and The Lion In Winter set to be joined by Chester Vase winner Lambourn. Wayne Lordan and Colin Keane will ride the two horses passed over by Moore. Delacroix has been ridden positively in his last couple of races and O'Brien expects similar tactics to be employed this weekend, saying: "I'd imagine so, that will be Ryan's decision if he rides him. He's a straightforward horse and uncomplicated we think, so I would imagine if he does ride him he'll probably ride him forward. He'll decide that himself when the gates open. "His sister by Galileo (Grateful) got a mile and six (furlongs) well and as everybody knows he's by Dubawi. You never know until you do it, but we always thought there was a good chance that he would get the mile and a half." While The Lion In Winter appears likely to line up as the Ballydoyle second string, O'Brien believes he will take a big step forward from his Dante performance. He added: "We think he's made good progress since York, which we obviously thought he would. He was only just ready to start that day and you're probably better off in a trial knowing that you're going to come forward and everything goes wrong, rather than running in a trial when you think you're fit and everything goes right. "He was a bit fresh and a bit behind fitness-wise but everything has gone well since, we got a run into him, it looked like he was going to get a mile and a quarter well, he got a little bit of interference in the straight and Ryan looked after him. If he hadn't got that he might have been third and if he hadn't have run a little bit keen early he might have been closer. "This is only going to be his second run and you'd imagine whatever he does he's going to come forward again." The trainer will also be triple handed in Friday's Betfred Oaks, with Cheshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk, Lingfield Oaks Trial scorer Giselle, and Musidora Stakes victor Whirl appearing three of the biggest threats to Charlie Appleby's 1000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower. "I'd imagine Ryan will probably ride Minnie Hauk, but obviously that could change if he changes his mind tomorrow," O'Brien revealed. "We liked her last year, she had two runs and won the second time. She's a lovely, straightforward filly and we think she's come forward loads from Chester." On the importance of the two Epsom Classics, the trainer said: "They're obviously vital, it's where the whole thoroughbred breed is gauged. "The Derby and the Oaks are the most important races for colts and fillies of the year and for the three-year-old generation."
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
FA Cup balls ready for a wide-open Derby with no obvious winner
Epsom has hired the balls and equipment used in FA Cup draws to add a touch of glamour to proceedings when the stall positions in Saturday's Derby are allocated in the town centre on Wednesday. From a punter's perspective, however, a wide-open race and one of the biggest fields this century promise to be the only selling points required for the 246th running of the Classic. Twenty colts remain in contention at the penultimate declaration stage on Monday. There are few sights in the sport to match the spectacle and excitement of a big field charging down the Epsom hill towards Tattenham Corner, but it is 22 years since Kris Kin and Kieren Fallon beat 19 rivals, the only Derby since the turn of the century with a maximum field of 20. That size field is still a possibility thanks to the addition of two lightly raced dark horses on Monday at a cost of £75k apiece. Midak, an unbeaten colt who runs in the colours of Aga Khan IV, who died in February, and New Ground, who was a length behind Cualificar, the runner-up in Sunday's French Derby, in April, will join Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and the significant trial winners at Leopardstown, York, and Chester in the probable field when a multitude of questions about the runners' stamina, speed, athleticism and attitude will prove to have just one answer. Delacroix, the comfortable winner of Leopardstown's main Derby trial, heads the ante-post betting at a top price of 11-4, but his position at the top of the market is still far from guaranteed, with Ruling Court little more than a point behind on 4-1 and Pride Of Arras, the unbeaten Dante winner, next at 9-2. The Lion In Winter, Delacroix's stable companion at the Aidan O'Brien yard, is a single-figure price despite his defeat in the Dante, while Damysus, the runner-up behind Pride Of Arras at York, will be the first port of call for many each-way backers at around 10-1. Delacroix is, in some respects, an ideal favourite for one of the few races that can grab the general sporting public's attention. O'Brien and Ryan Moore, his trainer and (probable) jockey, need little introduction, Delacroix's form is impressive with the promise of more to come, and yet, the odds hide the truth in plain sight. Take out the bookies' margin and there is around a 25% chance he will be a record-extending 11th Derby winner for his trainer — and, by the same token, a 75% chance he will not. We have, after all, been here several times before with O'Brien-trained winners of the Leopardstown trial. He has won the race a remarkable 17 times, but only Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), his first two Derby winners, followed up at Epsom. Delacroix was O'Brien's 14th Leopardstown trial winner since High Chaparral. Eleven of the previous 13 went on to run in the Derby without success, including Bolshoi Ballet, the 13-8 favourite in 2021, Fame And Glory (9-4), Stone Age (7-2), Broome (4-1) and Recital (5-1). When Delacroix is considered as potentially the latest in a long line of failures, even his top price of 11-4 loses much of its appeal. Yet the fascinating thing about this year's Derby is that there is a serious question about every horse near the top of the betting. For Ruling Court, it is stamina, for Pride Of Arras and Damysus, it is experience, while The Lion In Winter needs to bounce back from his Dante defeat. William Buick and Charlie Appleby, Ruling Court's jockey and trainer respectively, have two of the five Classics in the bag this year and could have a third by the time the field goes to post on Saturday as Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineas winner, is favourite for Friday's Oaks. An Oaks success on Desert Flower would complete the set of British Classics for trainer and rider, while no jockey has ridden the first four Classic winners in a season. A win for Ruling Court would set up the intriguing possibility of an attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1970 in September's St Leger at Doncaster. 'They will either stay or they won't, it's as simple as that,' Buick said on Monday. 'Obviously you have to ride them accordingly, but equally you can't make a horse stay and where you find out is inside the last couple of furlongs. There's the question mark about the distance, but I feel like I'm on the best two horses.' Guardian
