Betfred Derby draw provides enticing trailer before main event

After filling up on pastries and coffee in the foyer of Epsom Picturehouse, a large crowd climbed to the top floor of the six-screen cinema at 10.30am on Wednesday for the eagerly-anticipated Betfred Derby draw.

Rishi Persad hosted the event in the company of Derby-winning jockeys Willie Carson and Martin Dwyer, who were joined by  Jim Allen, Epsom Downs general manager, and  Andrew Cooper, the Clerk of the Course presiding over the premier Classic for the 30th year.

Carson and Dwyer exchanged plenty of banter before the Racing TV cameras starting rolling, with Dwyer taking great pleasure in reminding Carson how he managed to win all three Epsom Group Ones.

Carson later retaliated: "If you want to back the winner of a Classic, just look at the jockey. There's normally only about four jockeys that always win Classics, so just go for the best jockey. Very rarely do you get people like this [Dwyer] winning it!"

Below are the key talking points from the draw, with 19 runners having been declared, the largest field for the race since Kris Kin won in 2003.

Aidan O'Brien has saddled the Derby winner a record ten times and has a solid chance of an 11th success this year, although his runners enjoyed mixed fortunes with the draw.

Lambourn will break from stall ten, a berth successful on a record 11 occasions, including with O'Brien's Galileo in 2001 and Ruler Of The World 12 years later in 2013. That pair carried the same colours as Lambourn.

There would be a nice bit of symmetry should Lambourn follow up from the same stall, in the same silks, for the same trainer, another 12 years on. Furthermore, like Ruler Of The World, he is a winner of the Chester Vase.

The omens do not look so positive for The Lion In Winter, who was drawn out in stall 19, whilst Ryan Moore unsurprisingly chose to ride Delacroix, who will break from stall 14, a berth successful four times previously.

Owner Ahmad Al Shaikh is also becoming a usual suspect at Epsom in the first week of June and the self-confessed Derby fanatic was in attendance.

Several horses have gone close at big prices for him over the past few years and his best chance this time around comes in the shape of Al Wasl Storm, drawn in 13, whilst Green Storm will break from stall 8.

There was a long period when Sheikh Mohammed was stuck in a Derby defeat loop. Between 1982 and 2017, he had 53 runners in his own colours or the blue of Godolphin, and all were beaten.

The curse was magically broken when Masar won in 2018, and then Adayar followed suit in 2021.

Ruling Court is Godolphin’s big hope this year from stall 7, however, Derby-winning jockey Martin Dwyer, who helped host the draw, is not a fan. “He’s the best horse in the race but I don’t think he will stay,” Dywer said. The man who guided Sir Percy to glory revealed he is sweet on the chances of Delacroix.

Few British trainers have the reputation Charlie Appleby is building as a conditioner of a horse with Classic potential, and there was some support for his colt in the market after the draw was made, with sponsors Betfred shortening him into 3-1 joint favourite alongside the O'Brien first string.

His stall is the source of three previous winners and, like last year's victor, is a US-bred son of Triple Crown hero Justify.

The Night Walker was the last black and white film made by Universal Pictures and connections of the horse of the almost-identical name will be hoping that the grey performance at Epsom on Saturday is more of a fairytale than a psychological horror.

Six horses have been successful from his position in stall 5, with Camelot the most recent in 2012. Nightwalker's stalemate Damysus had an uglier draw in stall 15, home to two previous winners.

Interestingly, only three of the last ten Derbies ran on ground described as 'good' or faster were won by a horse drawn in a single-figure draw.

If the weather forecast is anywhere near accurate, the Derby will be run on. terrain no quicker than 'good to soft' and, based on the RaceiQ data below, those drawn lower will hold an advantage over those drawn higher.

The data measures the advantage or disadvantage a runner gains from the stall they are drawn in, in lengths.

There is an international flavour to this year's Derby. Firstly, two French-trained runners have been declared for the great race in Midak (stall 4) and New Ground (stall 17).

Given this year's Derby is raced in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV, there would not be too many more poignant winners of the premier Classic than Midak.

Sea The Stars last won the Derby from his stall in 2009, two years before the last French-trained winner of the race Pour Moi, who also won the Prix Greffulhe en-route to Classic glory.

There are few horses with as many nationalities combined than the very first horse to be drawn by Carson: Lazy Griff. He will break from stall 3 and will be partnered by a Belgian based in France, is by a German-bred sire out of a Danish-bred mare, and is trained in Britain.

Brazilian-born trainer Raphael Freire also has a runner for Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian courtesy of Tuscan Hills, who will jump from gate 6. There have been three previous winners from this position and Amo Racing have gone close with an outsider before when King Of Steel found only Auguste Rodin too good in 2023.

Finally, trainer Ralph Beckett pulled off an unlikely double.

His Dante winner Pride Of Arras drew gate 16, whilst Stanhope Gardens drew stall 2. Neither has produced a winner of the Derby since starting stalls were introduced in 1967. 

Saeed bin Suroor will also be hoping Tornado Alert can buck the trends as his berth in stall 11 has never produced a Derby winner either.