Nobody has won the Derby more times than Aidan O'Brien and the master of Ballydoyle looks to have a strong hand once again as he aims for a ninth success in the Epsom classic.
Auguste Rodin disappointed in the 2000 Guineas, but there were excuses for that run and O'Brien has described the son of Deep Impact as a “collector’s item” He will be partnered by Ryan Moore.
His two-year-old campaign matched his pedigree as he won a maiden by two lengths before taking the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
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As a result he was well-fancied for the 2000 Guineas after a Triple Crown bid was mentioned in early spring dispatches, but at Newmarket the three-year-old was denied an ounce of luck and trailed home in 12th after his race was scuppered early on.
He has been well-backed ahead of today's race and is vying for favouritism with Chester Vase winner Arrest for John and Thady Gosden, with Frankie Dettori set to have his final derby ride on the Juddmonte-owned colt, as well as Lingfield Derby Trial winner Military Order for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin.
Jessica Harrington has achieved more than almost anybody as a trainer, but a Derby winner would be up there with the best days of her career and she runs recent Leopardstown winner Sprewell.
White Birch is also an interesting runner for Cork trainer John Joseph Murphy, as are Passenger for Michael Stoute and the Andrew Balding-trained The Foxes.
Here's a full list of the runners and riders for the big race:
1. Adelaide River Seamie Heffernan
2. Arrest Frankie Dettori
3. Artistic Star Rob Hornby
4. Auguste Rodin Ryan Moore
5. Dear My Friend Andrea Atzeni
6. Dubai Mile Daniel Muscutt
7. King Of Steel Kevin Stott
8. Military Order William Buick
9. Passenger Richard Kingscote
10. San AntonioWayne Lordan (
11. Sprewell Shane Foley
12. The Foxes Oisin Murphy
13. Waipiro Tom Marquand
14. White Birch Colin Keane
Horse by Horse Guide
Auguste Rodin 5-2 - A short price for a horse who beat only two others in the 2,000 Guineas. Nevertheless he is highly regarded by Aidan O’Brien who predicts a much different outcome over a more suitable mile and a half and on ground much more to his liking than the soft going encountered at Newmarket.
Military Order 9-2 - Aiming to complete the rare feat of winning the same race his full brother Adayar captured in 2021. Adayar was second in the Lingfield Derby Trial while Military Order won the race, after it was transferred to the all-weather because the turf course was waterlogged.
Passenger 5-1 - The Niarchos family have paid £85,000 to add him to the Derby field, a big tip in itself given he represents last year’s winning team of Sir Michael Stoute and jockey Richard Kingscote. He only made his debut in April but was the eye-catcher of the Dante Stakes, in which he finished third after being denied a clear run.
Arrest 6-1 - With Frankie Dettori aboard, he is bound to be the so-called ‘housewives’ choice’ and has solid claims based on his clear cut victory in the Chester Vase. That win came on soft ground. Dettori would prefer rain to fall to improve his chances of riding a third winner of the Derby but the forecast suggests it won’t arrive.
Sprewell 11-1 - Jessica Harrington will become the first female trainer to win the Derby if the Leopardstown Derby Trial winner triumphs. She has won most other races in both codes, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, Classics in Ireland and Group 1 races at Royal Ascot. The trainer has been absent from the racecourse of late as she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
The Foxes 12-1 - The Srivaddhanaprabha family have been enjoying better results on the racetrack than on the football field. Their runner The Foxes is named after Leicester City which they own. He won the Dante Stakes for King Power Racing. Oisin Murphy takes the ride having missed 2022 serving a 14 month ban.
Dubai Mile 14-1 - Enthusiastic owner Ahmad Al Shaikh has seen two of his previous runners produce huge efforts at huge odds. Dubai Mile has stronger credentials as a Group 1-winning two-year-old who finished fifth in the 2.000 Guineas.
White Birch 14-1 - The only grey in the field will be a first challenger for trainer John Joseph Murphy, whose biggest win to date was over jumps at the Cheltenham Festival. White Birch was a running-on second behind The Foxes in the Dante.
Waipiro 20-1 - Ed Walker’s last Derby runner was the well-fancied English King who won the Lingfield Derby Trial and finished fifth in 2020. Waipiro was second to Military Order in this year’s version of the Classic warm-up.
Artistic Star 33-1 - The only unbeaten horse in the field is stepping up a long way from winning a novice stakes at Sandown. He has the right breeding credentials as a son of Galileo, a Derby winner and sire of five Derby winners.
San Antonio 33-1 - Won for the first time on turf in the Dee Stakes at Chester and looks a handy second-string for Ballydoyle.
King Of Steel 66-1 - Represents the ambitious Amo Racing, which has enjoyed a prolific first part of the turf season. Has not run since October last year since when he has been transferred to Roger Varian.
Adelaide River 66-1 - Chased home Arrest at Chester, finishing six and a half lengths second and was a similar distance behind that rival in France last year.
Dear My Friend 66-1 - The stablemate of Dubai Mile won over a mile on the all-weather at Newcastle in April and was eighth in the Dante Stakes.
VERDICT: There is not a lot of Group 1-winning form in the race with only Auguste Rodin and Dubai Mile fitting that criteria. Ground conditions at Epsom are also likely to be far different to the conditions that many of the contenders completed their warm-ups on. To date all AUGUSTE RODIN's wins have come on yielding, soft and heavy, but as a son of Deep Impact he ought to relish the Epsom ground conditions.
1-2-3 prediction
1 Auguste Rodin, 2 Military Order, 3 Passenger
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