The tale of the 2024 Derby plus a 66/1 ante-post bet

The 245th edition of the Derby, sponsored by Betfred, was an unusual one in that the four winners of the traditional trials – Economics (Dante), Hidden Law (Chester Vase), Arabian Crown (Classic Trial) and Capulet (Dee Stakes) – were not among the final field of 16. The great race was no doubt poorer for their absence, but it did feature last year’s outstanding two-year-old, City Of Troy, plus two other Group One winners in Los Angeles and Ancient Wisdom.

The ground was good to soft and the pace was even without being frenetic, with the winning time of 2min 38.32sec being the fourth slowest this century. It turned into something of an Aidan O’Brien relay with his runners - Euphoric, Los Angeles and

City Of Troy

– passing the baton to each other.

There was early drama, with

Voyage

unshipping his rider, but there were no other hard-luck stories and we surely saw an above-average winner in CITY OF TROY, who provided O’Brien with a record-extending tenth Derby winner and Ryan Moore a fourth.

City Of Troy had been the outstanding juvenile of last season, being head and shoulders above his peers. However, he’d run lamentably in the 2000 Guineas and his medium-sized physique (he was dwarfed by stablemate Los Angeles as they walked around the paddock together) meant most followers of the sport were divided about his prospects, despite his masterful trainer going out of his way to extol the colt’s virtues and suggest he may never had a better horse heading to the race. He said more than once in the build-up that he had left him too fresh for the Guineas and that the horse’s heart rate was exceptionally high after a restless few seconds in the stalls.  

The son of Justify was a sea of calm in the preliminaries here and bounced back in imperious fashion. He jinked to the left and was slightly slow away, probably by design, but settled well in the second half of the field. Still only ninth half a mile out, he quickly glided past rivals up the straight, with Moore able to explore a ground-saving route up the inside after O’Brien’s other runners, Los Angeles and Euphoric, had moved off the rail at Tattenham Corner after making the running. 

Tellingly, City Of Troy clocked the quickest sectionals through each of the last four furlongs: 11.74sec; 11.82sec; 11.99sec and 12.76sec. He devoured the straight and was the only horse to dip under 12 seconds in the penultimate furlong, and only one to go under 13sec in the final furlong. His blend of speed and stamina was simply irresistible. 

It briefly looked like he might have a fight on his hands with the strong-travelling Ambiente Friendly, but he stayed on much the strongest to win by the best part of three lengths. His winning time was seven seconds slower than the record set by Workforce on much quicker terrain in 2010, but he became the first since him to win the Derby having never previously won beyond seven furlongs. 

O’Brien said afterwards how he and his team had tinkered with various elements of City Of Troy’s training after his disappointing run at Newmarket. It is certainly not the first time he has transformed a horse who ran poorly in the Guineas in the matter of weeks. He had done the same with Auguste Rodin last year, of course, plus Power and Roderic O’Connor too. The latter pair won the Irish 2000 Guineas after being beaten out of sight at Headquarters. 

City Of Troy’s programme is undecided. A race on dirt at Saratoga had been mentioned – and he is bred for the job, being by Triple Crown winner Justify – but O’Brien seemed cool on that in the immediate aftermath on Saturday, wondering whether he is streetwise enough for that venture. The Irish Derby would surely be at his mercy – he’s a best-priced 4/6 with Unibet - and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe seems an obvious autumn objective.

He is quoted at between 3/1 and 6/1 for the French showpiece. The last Derby winner to take the Arc was Golden Horn in 2010. Regardless, he gives the sport a much-needed star to cherish over the months ahead. 

had been a revelation when landing the Lingfield Derby Trial and showed that was no fluke with a cracking effort in defeat. He raced typically exuberantly, stalking the leaders and having a perfect position at Tattenham Corner. He was given a textbook ride by his new rider, Rab Havlin, who did a passable impression of the great Lester Piggott as he sat high and motionless in the saddle, not interfering with the horse’s rhythm. Ambiente Friendly was the last off the bridle but simply couldn’t match the staying reserves of City Of Troy in the closing stages. He should continue to be a force in all the top middle-distance races this season and has so much pace that a drop to ten furlongs will clearly not inconvenience him. He wore a red hood to post here.

lost his unbeaten record but went down on his sword, faring best of those who raced up with the pace. He was a little fractious in the paddock (he almost took out his trainer) and was a bit reluctant to load, but did nothing wrong in the race itself. Soon up with the gallop, shadowing stablemate Euphoric, he stuck willingly to his task but simply didn’t have the gears of the pair who got passed him. An imposing type who is probably still filling his frame, he should continue to be a force this summer and it would be no surprise if he is aimed at the St Leger as he looks all about stamina. He’s a best-priced 5/1 for that contest. Looking further ahead, he appeals as the type to make a smashing four-year-old. 

has raised his game since joining Owen Burrows, looking a different horse to the one beaten at 1/5 at Chelmsford in late September when he looked wayward to say the least. Patiently ridden here, he stuck to his task in willing style without ever looking like winning and his tendency to hang in the closing stages can be attributed to the contours of the track, rather than any sense of mischief. The stewards found his jockey, Jim Crowley, guilty of careless riding and gave him a two-day ban, saying he had allowed his mount to drift right-handed while under a left-hand drive carrying DANCING GEMINI off his intended line. Deira Mile wore first-time cheekpieces and they may have helped add an edge. I’d imagine the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot will be tempting, with the the final Classic of the season,  the St Leger, also mentioned as a target by connections. He's a general 25/1.

had shown ability and temperament in equal measure last season but is a more mature model this season and there is little doubt he ran a personal best. Prominent from the outset, he got tapped for toe at the business end of proceedings but kept on well and just missed out on fourth spot. He was third fastest in the final furlong, highlighting his staying power. The King Edward VII Stakes would also seem a logical next step and, given how he saw this out, we may well also see him in the St Leger. Unibet make him a 50/1 chance. 

was a smart two-year-old and had looked unfortunate not to land the French 2000 Guineas on his return. He finished out of the frame here but went a long way to confirming himself as a colt well up to holding his own/winning at the top level sooner rather than later. He has a pedigree that is all about Epsom and middle distances but he’s a horse who has already exhibited plenty of speed and, while he ran eye-catchingly well, the trip seemed to stretch him. Dropped out in rear, presumably to try and reserve suspect stamina reserves, he only had one rival behind him half a mile from home. In the ninth and tenth furlongs, he clocked successive times of 11.87sec to motor into fourth before his momentum stalled, not helped by some late interference (rider of the fourth got a two-day ban). It will be a surprise if we see him over this distance again, with multiple big-race options over a mile and ten furlongs. He’s in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on July 6 and that would look a good fit. He’s a general 66/1 for that race and is worth an ante-post punt at such insulting odds. He won’t be anything like that price if he shows up. He wore a red hood to post.

had won the the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in late April and was a springer in the market, even though you must go back to 1939 to find the last winner of that race to go and win the big one. He missed a beat at the start under Oisin Murphy, perhaps by design, and was moving well enough in midfield at Tattenham Corner (just behind Ambiente Friendly) but he was one paced in the straight. It would be no surprise if he’s back over ten furlongs next time, although this looked a case of him simply not being good enough. 

ended up being Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s sole representative after a setback suffered by Arabian Crown and the sad loss of Hidden Law. He had signed off with successive wins in the Autumn Stakes and Futurity at the end of last season, looking well served by some given in the ground, and had been expected to be sharper for his comeback run behind Economics in the Dante. However, he tended to over-race in the first half of the race (perhaps it came too quick after York) and he didn’t look completely comfortable on the track when push came to shove. Stamina might well have been an issue, too, although he’d be worth another go at the trip another day. He wore a red hood and lip chain to post. Incidentally, his defeat means Dubawi’s quest for a Derby winner goes on. 

was Aidan O’Brien’s third string and was deployed pretty much as a pacemaker for his two much better-fancied stablemates, having previously also made the running in small-field tactical affairs. It would be no surprise if this is not the last time he’s used in this role, which is probably not quite his connections had in mind when paying £2 million for the Frankel colt as a yearling. He led until three furlongs from home and faded in the final two furlongs. 

had been supplemented at a cost of £75,000 at the start of week but his starting price of 100/1 summed up his claims on form. He raced wide and played little part, hanging in the closing stages. 

was having his first run of the season, plus his first outing on turf. He never figured, stepping up from a mile, but shouldn’t be written off back in shallower waters as he’d looked useful when winning over a mile at Kempton in early December. 

had been a keeping-on third to Ancient Wisdom in the Futurity last season and began this term by making the most of a simple opportunity at Nottingham. The Dubawi colt’s career has gone into reverse, though, because he merely helped make up the numbers here, having disappointed at Chester and York in the build-up. He wore a red hood to post.

wore earplugs which were removed at the start. He looked a picture and had a profile not dissimilar to Westover, a luckless third for the same team in 2022. However, he got a hefty bump from Euphoric at the start and the writing was on the wall for him before Tattenham Corner. He was unable to make any impression despite his rider’s urgings. This was a dull effort and, given how far out he was in trouble, didn’t tell us whether this trip is within his range. It would be no surprise if he proved this running wrong another day. His run capped a disappointing weekend for his trainer, Ralph Beckett, who had saddled four beaten runners in the Oaks 24 hours earlier. 

had been a 50/1 winner of the Ballysax Stakes on heavy ground at Leopardstown but was unable to spring a similar surprise. He got warm beforehand and faded from three out with his jockey quickly accepting the situation. All his best efforts have been achieved on deep ground and I imagine the ground will be a factor in where we see him for the rest of this year. 

looked an unlikely candidate to give his late, great sire Galileo a 100th individual Group One winners and so it proved with the 86-rated maiden dropping back to last three furlongs out and being allowed to coast home in his own time. 

had made a good impression when winning a maiden on his debut over 1m 2f at Newbury, with connections resisting the Trials to "keep the dream alive". However, the dream evaporated soon after the gates opened as Voyage stumbled and unseated his rider. He did finish first past the post, thankfully not hindering the protagonists after it briefly looked like he may play an unwitting role in the conclusion.