It’s a big day for race enthusiasts with the Gr1 Woolavington and Gr1 Daily News run at 15h05 and 15h45 respectively, followed by the world’s greatest flat race, the Gr1 Epsom Derby at 17h30.
This afternoon is expected to be bright and sunny and get up to 27 degrees at Epsom.
John Gosden (photo: Investec)
Other than Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Investec Derby six times, the two previous Derby-winning trainers with runners in this year’s field are John Gosden (Golden Horn, 2015 and Benny The Dip, 1997) and Charlie Appleby, who won last year’s race with Masar.
Gosden is due to be represented this year by Humanitarian and Appleby by Line Of Duty.
Frankie Dettori is having his 24th Investec Derby 24 ride on Circus Maximus and he is behind only Lester Piggott (36) in the list of jockeys who have ridden in the Classic the most.
Frankie Dettori
Dettori (Authorized 2007 and Golden Horn 2005) and Ryan Moore (Workforce 2000 and Ruler Of The World 2013) are the winning-most current jockeys with two wins apiece.
Chris Hayes is the only jockey having his first-ever Investec Derby ride this year and he is aboard Madhmoon.
Two jockeys since 2000 have won on their race debut: Mickael Barzalona in 2011 on Pour Moi and Padraig Beggy in 2017 on Wings Of Eagles. It is Beggy’s only Group 1 success to date. He has ridden two Group 3 winners, all for his boss Aidan O’Brien for whom he partners Sovereign in the 2019 Investec Derby.
Twelve of the 13 horses in this year’s Investec Derby line-up are by Coolmore Stud’s champion sire Galileo, his sons or his grandsons – the exception is Sir Dragonet.
Galileo, winner of the Investec Derby in 2001, is the sire of six runners in this year’s renewal: Anthony Van Dyck, Circus Maximus, Japan, Line Of Duty, Norway and Sovereign.
Galileo has four sons with runners this year.
Australia (Investec Derby winner in 2014) has two representatives in Bangkok and Broome, while New Approach, Nathaniel and Noble Mission all have a runner apiece.
Australia wins the 2014 Investec Derby
The supplemented Telecaster is by the 2008 Derby winner New Approach, the sire of last year’s winner Masar, and Hiroshima is by Nathaniel. Noble Mission, the full-brother to the record-breaking champion Frankel, has his first Derby runner with Humanitarian.
New Approach’s sire son Dawn Approach is represented for the first time in the Classic by Madhmoon.
Sir Dragonet is the one horse in the field not by Galileo or his sons. He is by Coolmore’s Camelot, and so is a grandson of the French Derby winner and current winning-most Derby sire, Montjeu. As Camelot is a grandson of Galileo’s sire Sadler’s Wells, it means that all horses in the field trace back to Sadler’s Wells.
Stall 10 has the best record in the Classic with 10 winners since 1967. Masar won from the draw last year, and Norway takes the spot this time.
New Approach son Masar won last year
Stall five has been the next most successful spot: Circus Maximus is drawn in five this year.
No horse drawn in stall two (Telecaster) or stall 11 (Japan) has won the Classic so far.
