The Cazoo Derby: Your guide to the final field plus tips

A final field of 17 has been declared for Cazoo Derby on Saturday - the biggest line-up for five years.

Buckaroo, Ivy League, Lysander, Sir Bob Parker and United Nations were taken out on Monday but, as expected, Nations Pride and El Habeeb have been supplemented, swelling the £1.5 million prize money already on offer.

The going on Thursday was described as good to soft, good in places. Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper, as ever, will be aiming to provide ground no quicker than good.

Here’s a guide to all the runners plus a verdict. Odds correct as of 10am on Thursday.

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Best odds: 10-1.

One of four possible runners in the race for Aidan O’Brien, who already has a record eight Derby winners on his CV. All of O’Brien’s challengers are sons of Galileo, who has sired five winners of the premier Classic. Changingoftheguard leapt into the Derby picture when making all and galloping his rivals into submission in the Chester Vase. He coped well with the soft ground that day, but is not one to underestimate whatever the going is on the big day.

Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute. Best odds: 6-4.

It’s been 12 years since Workforce provided Stoute with his fifth Derby winner but he’s not had such an obvious challenger as Desert Crown in the interim. He was most professional when sweeping aside the opposition on his return in the Dante, having won a maiden at Nottingham at the backend of last season. Open to more improvement and his pedigree suggests the step up to a mile and a half will be no bother. Drawn in stall 12, from where Serpentine (2020) and Australia (2014) have won from in recent years.

Trainer: Stan Moore. Best odds: 100-1.

His Bahrain-based owner/breeder has supplemented him for £75,000, even though he beat only one home in a Listed contest on his debut at Newmarket this month. It looks a fanciful project, even if huge outsiders such as Terimon (second at 500-1 in 1989) have made the frame in the past. The evergreen John Egan, 55, is set to ride.

Trainer: Andrew Oliver. Best odds: 100-1.

Cost just 3,000gns as a yearling but he offered some promise in three starts as a two-year-old and won a Curragh maiden on his return before chasing home Stone Age in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown, albeit being no match for the winner. You cannot blame connections for rolling the dice.

Trainer: Charlie Fellowes. Best odds: 100-1.

Began the year getting beaten in maiden company at Wolverhampton but he’s since raised his game, being beaten half a length in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in April. The form of that muddling contest is not easy to assess, although United Nations (fourth) has since won the Derby Trial at Lingfeld.

Trainer: Andrew Balding. Best odds: 200-1.

Decisive winner of last year’s Convivial at York last summer but merely a supporting act in the Craven and the Newmarket Stakes this term, beaten seven lengths by Nations Pride on the latter occasion. Difficult to see him turning the tables, although Balding had a 50/1 shot finish second two years ago.

Trainer: Andrew Balding. Best odds: 66-1.

His exploits as a two-year-old included a short-head defeat at the hands of Native Trail in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket but he’s not gone to the next level and was firmly in his place by Eydon in the Feilden Stakes on his return. Disconcertingly, with the hullabaloo of Derby Day in mind, he played up in the stalls and had to be withdrawn from the Dante last time.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby. Best odds: 25-1.

Tenacious winner of the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom and, while they ended up in a bit of a heap, the Frankel colt showed a good attitude dropping back in distance and United Nations (fourth) gave the form a boost when subsequently scoring at Lingfield. There’s little doubt the chestnut will be well served by stepping back up in distance – there's loads of stamina on the dam’s side and his previous two wins had been over 1m 4f – although the St Leger may offer him his best chance of Classic glory. The Blue Riband Trial has rarely yielded the Derby winner, although Cracksman landed it in 2017 before finishing a close third in the main event.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby. Best odds: 6-1.

The Godolphin team have supplemented him, and he will add extra spice to an already open renewal. He’s won his past four starts in commanding fashion – by an aggregate of more than 18 lengths – and was better than ever when running three rivals into submission in the Newmarket Stakes last time. The 1m 4f trip should be no problem and there could be even better to come.

Trainer: Donnacha’Brien. Best odds: 10-1.

There was a sense of him mugging Buckaroo on his return in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown although a line through Bluegrass, who finished fourth, reads well enough in comparison with Desert Crown (Bluegrass subsequently finished about the same distance behind that horse in the Dante). Ulysess, the sire of Piz Badile, disappointed in the 2016 Derby and ultimately showed his best form over ten furlongs, although he was by a Derby winner (Galileo) out of an Oaks winner (Light Shift) so there is further family history to make Piz Badile worth a second look, with the services of Frankie Dettori already secured.

Trainer: Mark & Charlie Johnston. Best odds: 33-1.

Clawed back Coroebus in the Royal Lodge last year after wins at Epsom and York. Creditable sixth on his return in the 2000 Guineas but brushed aside by Desert Crown in the Dante last time. Difficult to see him reversing that form, especially with the longer trip not sure to suit.

Trainer: Charlie Hills. Best odds: 50-1.

Looked a most exciting prospect when winning on his only start at Sandown last term. Not seen to best advantage in either of his races in Listed company this year – behind Eydon and then Star Of India – and it’s too early to be giving up on him, especially as his breeding offers hope he will stay a mile and a half. He’s clearly not the finished article just yet, but looks the type to outrun his odds with Tom Marquand (runner-up two years ago) snapped up to ride.

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Best odds: 20-1.

Won in taking style on his only start last term and well on top at the finish when landing the Dee Stakes at Chester last time. In between, he made little impact behind Native Trail in the Craven, although little doubt he took a step forward upped in trip on his latest start and he’s got more to offer.

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Best odds: 9-2.

Unable to win in five starts as a two-year-old although he was placed in Group One company. Returned this year with a runaway win in maiden company before pummelling the opposition in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown last time. That form arguably lacks some depth, plus he got a softish lead, but no disputing his authority that day. Has bags of experience and seems sure to improve again for the step up to 1m 4f, both on running style and breeding. At home forcing the pace but doubtful he needs to lead. Easy to back in the past week, sliding out to 9-2 from 9-4.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby. Best odds: 16-1.

Signed off last season with a decisive win in a maiden at Nottingham, although Desert Crown won the first division in a time two seconds quicker. Edged out Hafit on his return at Newbury (runner-up subsequently fluffed his lines at short odds in France) before being outmuscled close home United Nations at Lingfield last time, when he also hung right. Trainer believes he’s capable of better than he's showed and he looks the part, but he needs to grow up a bit.

Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford. Best odds: 33-1.

Did well to win a maiden at Newcastle over Christmas before following up in taking style over 1m 2f at Nottingham this month – going off fast but turning away his pursuers when they loomed up to challenge. He’s well-bred and clearly got plenty of ability, although his trainer’s enthusiasm for him is tempered by the fact that he admits it remains to be seen “if we can keep the lid on him”.

Trainer: Ralph Beckett. Best odds: 20-1.

The imposing son of Frankel was something of a work in progress last year and returned with a narrow victory from Cash, who is heading for the French Derby, and Goldspur in the Classic Trial at Sandown. The runner-up would have nabbed him in a few more strides, but Westover had been a little keen and, given his frame, perhaps also needed the run. He’s going to require more again but he appeals as the type to keep progressing. Beckett has twice landed the Oaks. Drawn in stall 2 and, oddly, no Derby winner has broken from that stall since they were introduced in 1967.

An intriguing renewal on the cards, with the possibility of rain on Saturday not making things any easier to predict. If the ground were to turn soft, then naturally the picture could change. Unusually, there's not a single Group One winner in the line-up, but DESERT CROWN looked every inch a horse destined to win at the highest level when an emphatic winner of the Dante Stakes on his return at York. It perhaps wasn't the deepest renewal but he could only beat what he was up against, and Sir Michael Stoute volunteered afterwards that he had been playing catch-up with the colt after a minor setback in the spring. That suggests there could be plenty more to come from him and his sire, Nathaniel, himself a son of Galileo, has already been responsible for one dazzling Epsom heroine in Enable. Aidan O'Brien's horses dominated most of the other trials, with Stone Age and Changingoftheguard impressing the most and looking tailor-made for the challenges of Epsom. However, at bigger prices, I'd rather play each-way on Westover, who can be expected to progress again after his narrow success at Sandown, and Sonny Liston, who looked such an exciting prospect on his debut last year and has not been seen to best advantage in either of his races this term.

1 DESERT CROWN. 2 WESTOVER. 3 SONNY LISTON. 4 STONE AGE