2019Investec Derby Festival Guide

A field of 14, the highest in the race for five years, is set to go to post in the £525,000 Group 1 Investec Oaks, the premier fillies’ Classic, and the highlight of the action on the opening day of the meeting.

Staged over the same tricky 2400m course as the Derby and Coronation Cup, the QIPCO British Champions Series contest has been won seven times by Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien, who saddles four runners as he bids for an eighth success.

Meanwhile, the reigning British champion trainer John Gosden, is represented by Anapurna, the mount of Frankie Dettori, and Frankel filly Mehdaayih, supplemented for the race following an impressive success in the Cheshire Oaks at Chester on May 8.

Our guide to the key stats for the Investec Oaks• With winners at 20-1, 20-1, 20-1, 33-1 and 50-1 within the

last 12 years, this has not been a good contest for those concentrating on those at the head of the betting.

• Group-race form is not essential coming into this contest, with only three of the last 12 winners having already registered a victory in a Group race.

• Stall 1 has been something of a bogey in recent years, with only three of the last 17 renewals seeing a horse from that stall make the frame. In contrast, horses drawn five or higher have won 11 of the last 17 races.

• Stamina should not be taken on trust for this trip, the stiffest test that most of these fillies will ever have faced. Eleven of the last 17 winners had already scored over at least 2000m.

• All of the last 11 winners had run only once or twice previously in the season.

Here’s our guide to some of the leading contenders for the big race.

Pink DogwoodNamed after the second hole at the Augusta National golf course, this filly was a front-runner as a two-year-old though those tactics only paid dividends once in four attempts, although she showed a good level of form against smart rivals.

Settled well back in the field when making her seasonal bow in Listed company at Naas, she looked much more effective from off the pace and was able to win that race under a hands-and-heels ride. Long considered the leading Ballydoyle contender, she looks a big player.

MehdaayihSupplemented into this race at a cost of £30,000, she has made rapid progress through the grades this season for champion trainer John Gosden. Pulled up no trees at two but won a Chelmsford match in April by 14 lengths, when giving her rivals 8lb, and then overcame trouble in running to win the Cheshire Oaks – which Enable won before landing this race in 2017 - in a seriously impressive manner.

Unlikely to be ridden prominent early, she could deliver a lethal blow up the straight. Robert Havlin keeps the ride at the expense of Frankie Dettori with connections having opted to keep him on board after their Chester victory.

MaqsadNewmarket maiden winner in April and returned to that course three weeks later to record an easy and taking success in the Pretty Polly Stakes in the sort of style that would suggest a further step up in trip to this 2400m would not be an inconvenience.

Open to further improvement, this imposing-looking filly has a smart turn of foot and could lay down a major bid if allowed to deliver her challenge off a strong gallop. Jim Crowley is on board again.

THE TIPManuela De Vega offers strong win-and-place value against the market leaders despite having ground to make up with Mehdaayih on their recent Cheshire Oaks form.

While Robert Havlin brought the winner fast and wide down the outside, Harry Bentley didn’t enjoy as smooth a run on the inner rail and by the time he had extricated his mount from the melee, the winner had flown.

Trainer Ralph Beckett knows what it takes to win this contest and immediately made it clear that he was targeting a third victory in the Oaks with this filly. At double-figure odds, she makes plenty of appeal.

Friday 31 MayInvestec Oaks

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A high-class field of 13 goes to post as Ireland’s 21-times champion Flat trainer Aidan O’Brien seeks a record-equalling seventh Investec Derby win with a seven-pronged attack on the 240th running of the world’s most famous Flat race.

The Ballydoyle septet are spearheaded by Sir Dragonet, the mount of Ryan Moore. An impressive winner of the Chester Vase, Sir Dragonet is sired by 2012 Investec Derby victor Camelot and could well go off favourite given the encouragement that being Moore’s choice offers. Sir Dragonet will race from the widest stall of all in 13.

O’Brien’s other six Investec Derby contenders are headed by Broome, the mount of Donnacha O’Brien, who has captured two Derby trials at Leopardstown already this season.

The £1,625,000 showpiece is Britain’s richest race and one of the highlights of the sporting summer.

Our guide to the key stats for the Investec Derby• Less is more when it comes to finding the winner of the

Derby. 16 of the last 17 winners had run no more than five times before Epsom.

• Concentrate on the horses towards the head of the market. Six of the last 15 favourites won and 15 of the last 17 winners returned at odds of 7-1 or shorter.

• Aidan O’Brien is undoubtedly the trainer to follow, with four winners in the last 10 years, along with seven further placed horses.

• Horses drawn middle to high have a much better recent record than those in low numbers. No winner has come from stalls 1-3 in the last 10 years and no winner has ever come from stall 2.

• Unlike the Oaks, previous Group-race form is a very encouraging sign. 10 of the last 12 winners had been victorious in a Group race before scoring at Epsom.

Here’s our guide to some of the leading contenders for the big race.

Broome Showed a decent level of form last season but has looked an improved horse this year, winning Group 3s on his last two starts. Achieved a notably smart speed figure when landing the Ballysax at Leopardstown in April and, most excitingly, it would be a surprise if he does not relish the 400m of this trip, just as his sire Australia did in 2014.

Not quite so impressive last time out when needing to be pushed out, but Aidan O’Brien was adamant that run was needed to put him back spot-on for this.

Sir DragonetSeemed to slip through the net earlier in his career for connections, a situation apparently explained by a setback at two requiring him to miss any racecourse action last season. But having won a lowly Tipperary maiden in good style, he looked potentially very smart when securing a runaway success in the Chester Vase.

Still has questions to answer after just the two racecourse appearances, but it looks significant that Ryan Moore has chosen to ride him ahead of a host of other options and the way he swung around the turns at Chester certainly gave hope that he could be just as effective around the turns at Epsom.

TelecasterShaped with lots of promise behind Bangkok on his debut before bursting onto the scene with an emphatic win at Windsor. Proved that was no fluke when winning the Dante last time out, where he kept finding for pressure to end the hitherto-unbeaten run of Too Darn Hot.

The 2400m of the Derby trip should be no issue and he enjoyed the fast ground at York. Beat a useful field in that contest and still more to come, provided this race doesn’t come too soon being just 16 days after what looked quite a gruelling encounter.

THE TIPThose looking for one at longer odds might be tempted by Circus Maximus in first-time cheekpieces, but the claims of Broome look very solid and the stats show that the betting market usually tends to get this race right.

His two victories so far this season have come in contests that invariably prove decent trials for Epsom and although Ryan Moore opts to ride Sir Dragonet, Broome looked very smart first time out this season in the Ballysax and his profile looks ideal.

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Saturday 1 JuneInvestec Derby

LIGHTLY-RACED – No less than 16 of the last 17 winners had run no more than five times before the Derby.

DRAW – Horses drawn between stalls 5-10 have won nine of the last 12 renewals of the Derby

CLASS - Ten of the last 12 winners had previously triumphed in a Group race before winning the Derby

We look more closely at the leading players in this year’s line-up to see how they stack up against the key trends.

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PAST WINNERS – Has his trainer or jockey won the Derby before?

GUINEAS – Five of the last 11 Derby winners had either won or been placed in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket

HORSE NAME LIGHTLY-RACED DRAW CLASS PAST WINNERS GUINEAS

Sir Dragonet ✓ ✓ ✓Broome ✓ ✓ ✓Telecaster ✓ ✓Anthony Van Dyck ✓ ✓ ✓Bangkok ✓ ✓Japan ✓ ✓ ✓Madhmoon ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓Circus Maximus ✓ ✓ ✓Norway ✓ ✓

How does this year’s Investec Derby field measure up?

Frankie DettoriHow does riding in the Investec Derby compare to the other big meetings in the world?First of all, it is a great race, but at the same time it is very challenging, emotionally and physically. Epsom is a difficult track to get right and it is a stressful experience to ride in the race. But when you win… when you win, it all becomes so worthwhile.

When you rode Too Darn Hot to finish second to Telecaster in the Dante, what did you make of the winner?Obviously Too Darn Hot’s stamina gave way that day, but I was very impressed with Telecaster and you’ve got to think that he is one of the leading contenders for this year’s Derby. He galloped on really well all the way to the line.

Do you still remember how it felt the first time you won the race aboard Authorized in 2007?I don’t think I slept properly for 10 days before the race. When the day arrived, I was nervous and excited and had butterflies, but I couldn’t wait. I got all my lucky charms out. Italians are very superstitious.

In the morning, I walked the track with my father. He said ‘Keep it nice and simple. You’ve got the best horse’. Once I was in the stalls, I forgot about everything. The race itself went as well as I could ever imagine. Following my father’s advice, I kept it nice and simple. When he won, it was more relief than joy.

Aidan O’BrienYou’re bidding for a seventh winner of the Derby. Why is it a race of such great importance to you and the Coolmore breeding operation?Every horse that is born, bred and raised here is trained to be there at Epsom. It is a race with great history and the ultimate test of the thoroughbred.

You run seven horses this year. What do you think of their chances?It would be wonderful to win it again. I think they’re a good squad. To be fair to them, they’ve all done what has been asked of them. We were a little bit easier on the horses in their trials than we have been before. We ran them in their trials in a way you would think they would come forward from.

Andrew Cooper- Clerk of the Course

With the going now ‘Good’, what is the weather suggesting conditions will be like for the meeting?The weather forecast is strongly suggesting that we will remain dry until the big race now. Therefore it’s only going to go one way, particularly on Saturday when the forecast is for sunshine and a hot day.

Is further watering a possibility to prevent the ground from becoming too firm?We did our last bit of watering on Wednesday morning but it’s an option for us to do it again, should conditions demand it. This is my 24th Derby and we’ve only irrigated after racing on Friday on three of three of those, but it is an option.

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Thoughts from the big names

Investec Coronation Cup (2400m)(Friday – Race 3)The first and second from last year’s final British Classic, the St Leger, Kew Gardens and LAH TI DAR, are the starring names among the 10 horses going for glory in the third Group 1 contest of the meeting, the £445,000 Investec Coronation Cup, staged over 2400m.

Likely favourite Kew Gardens is out to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a ninth success in the race. The four-year-old, who also captured a big race in France over this distance last July, finished second under a weight penalty to wide-margin winner MORANDO in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester.

LAH TI DAR is one of two runners for trainer John Gosden and made a successful return against her own sex in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York on May 16. Stablemate CORONET, second in three Group 1s in 2018, also runs after finishing fourth behind COMMUNIQUE in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting.

The key stats• Having a run under your belt is important – 11 of the last 12

winners had enjoyed at least one outing already in the season.• Proven Group race performers do well – all of the last 17

winners had won at least one Group 1 or Group 2 contest beforehand.

Investec Woodcote Stakes (1200m)(Friday – Race 1)First staged in 1794, this historic contest is fought out by sharp two-year-olds, and this year’s renewal looks no exception with a couple of particularly interesting juveniles in the line-up.

Trained by Yorkshire trainer Mark Johnson, who has won this contest three times in the last eight years, MISTY GREY won a decent novice event at Ripon in very taking fashion and there’s a chance he could be a step ahead of his rivals at this point in the season.

Godolphin’s Pinatubo got the hang of things late on at Wolverhampton on debut and he has to be considered the main danger for Charlie Appleby, having flown home to score there after briefly looking in trouble in the early stages.

The key stats• Winning form is key, with 16 of the last 17 winners having

come into the contest with at least one victory already under the belts.

• Mark Johnston has been the trainer to follow in this race, with five victories to his name this century.

Investec Diomed Stakes (1600m)(Saturday – Race 3)Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore have teamed up to devastating effect many times on the Epsom Downs and the partnership looks to fire in another big winner with ZAAKI in this Group 3 contest.

Switched to join the stable in the winter, he made a big impression on his first start for Stoute when taking a couple of notable scalps at Ascot recently, in the process seemingly showing a significant improvement in form.

The consistent OH THIS IS US looks the danger. He should be at home on this tight track and goes particularly well for Tom Marquand.

The key stats• Andrew Balding is the leading current trainer in this race,

with three previous winners to his name. He saddles Bye Bye Hong Kong, the mount of Silvestre de Sousa.

• Age and experience needn’t be a negative in this race, with 9 of the last 12 winners aged five and older.

Investec Derby Festival – the other highlights

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