The 265th BETFRED EPSOM DERBY (in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV (G1)) takes place at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 7, and it has the biggest field in more than two decades.
Nineteen colts have been entered, the most since 2003, and post positions were drawn Wednesday morning by famous jockeys Willie Carson and Martin Dwyer.
Co-favoured in the markets for the 1 1/2 mile Group 1 classic is DELACROIX, one of the Aidan O’Brien entrants, who is expected to be the mount of Ryan Moore. Delacroix won the Ballysax Stakes, a key race in which a couple of rivals came back to win Derby Trials. Delacroix is a son of Dubai and American champion mare TEPIN.
RULING COURT, owned by Godolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby, is a Kentucky-bred by Justify, originally a $150,000 Keeneland yearling and later a ₤2.3 million two-year-old. He won the English 2000 Guineas and the UAE 2000 Guineas.
Tony Elliott, representing The Rogues Gallery of some 100 partners, said its first Derby runner ROGUE IMPACT (by French Derby winner Study of Man) has a longshot chance. He talked about drawing post 1: “I’m not sure about it but, five winners have come from that post. We’re going there with a little bit of hope, one hundred members are going and we’re just going to have a fantastic day. But don’t write him off, we’re hoping for a bit more rain.”
For pedigree buffs, RULING COURT and THE LION IN WINTER (Sea the Stars) are closely related on their dam’s side. Ruling Court’s 3rd dam, INCHENI, is a half-sister to The Lion in Winter’s second dam Inchmahome.
2025 Derby confirmed runners and riders
1 ROGUE IMPACT
Jockey: Luke Morris
Trainer: James Owen
Owner: The Rogues Gallery
2 STANHOPE GARDENS
Jockey: Hector Crouch
Trainer: Ralph Beckett
Owner: Marcstown Ltd and New Chelsea
3 LAZY GRIFF
Jockey: Christophe Soumillon
Trainer: Charlie Johnston
Owner: Middleham Park Racing & Mr G Griffiths
4 MIDAK (sup)
Jockey: Mickael Barzalona
Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard
Owner: Aga Khan Studs
5 NIGHTWALKER
Jockey: Tom Marquand
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Owner: Juddmonte
6 – TUSCAN HILLS
Jockey: David Egan
Trainer: Raphael Freire
Owner: Amo Racing
7 – RULING COURT
Jockey: William Buick
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Owner: Godolphin
8 GREEN STORM
Jockey: Billy Loughnane
Trainer: Charlie Johnston
Owner: Ahmad Al Shaikh
9 NIGHTIME DANCER
Jockey: Jamie Spencer
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Owner: Stall Perlen Ab
10 LAMBOURN
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Owner: Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith
11 TORNADO ALERT
Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Owner: Godolphin
12 TENNESSEE STUD
Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
Owner: Westerberg, Tabor, Magnier, Smith
13 AL WASL STORM
Jockey: David Probert
Trainer: Owen Burrows
Owner: Green Team Racing
14 – DELACROIX
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Owner: Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor
15 DAMYSUS
Jockey: James Doyle
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Owner: Wathnan Racing
16 PRIDE OF ARRAS
Jockey: Rossa Ryan
Trainer: Ralph Beckett
Owner: Mrs David Aykroyd
17 NEW GROUND (sup)
Jockey: Alexis Pouchin
Trainer: Henri Francois Devin
Owner: Juddmonte
18 SEA SCOUT
Jockey: Harry Davies
Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford
Owner: Mr Abdulla Al Mansoori
19 THE LION IN WINTER
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Owner: Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier
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