By Tom Frary
Bjorn Nielsen's English King (Fr) (Camelot), winner of Lingfield's Listed Derby Trial and ante-post favourite for Saturday's £500,000 G1 241st Investec Derby, will depart from the dreaded stall one after heading a field of 16 declarations for Epsom's Blue Riband. Qatar Racing's G1 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten's Joy) has been allocated gate 11, while Aidan O'Brien's team of six includes G1 Futurity Trophy fourth Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Hampton Court S. victor Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who are drawn two and six respectively. Ryan Moore will be on Mogul, with last year's winning rider Seamie Heffernan coming across to partner Russian Emperor. Padraig Beggy gets the ride on the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
English King and Mogul have statistical history against them, with no winner having come from stall two and only three from stall one. They are Blakeney (GB), Roberto and Oath (Ire) (Fairy King) and span from 1969 to 1999. Bare statistics don't tell the whole story, however. Since 1990, nine horses drawn one or two have been in the frame, with one winning, which was the aforementioned well-backed 13-2 shot Oath in 1999. He was housed next to Dubai Millennium (GB) that day and the fact that the Godolphin megastar finished ninth had nothing to do with his draw. There have been only 11 runners to trade under 10-1 to come out of the first two stalls in that period and it is impossible to make a case that any of them would have won had they been positioned more towards the middle or in the high numbers.
Perhaps the experience of the unhappy trip of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) from stall one in 2018 has been overplayed. Only fourth as the 4-5 favourite, the apparent wunderkind went on to show that he didn't truly stay a mile and a half. The only other truly short-priced contender in the last three decades was Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who traded at 5-1 last year coming from stall two and he was tailed off last not because he had that post position but because he refused to settle. In 1998, when there were 15 runners, the 12-1 shot City Honours (Darshaan {GB}) exited from stall one and was beaten just a head by High-Rise (Ire) (High Estate {GB}). In 2009, Masterofthehorse (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) was drawn two and at 16-1 got into the frame just behind Sea the Stars (Ire), so a low draw is by no means disastrous.
What being drawn there does mean is that the horse has to have natural speed to gain an advantageous position heading to the right and then back down to the left. An ability to cruise from the start without over-racing, which Roberto exemplified in 1972 under Lester Piggott. We know that English King has gears, having registered impressive sectionals at Lingfield, and that he has the kind of calm and composed nature which will aid Frankie as he looks for that early pitch.
Eight fillies will head postward for the £250,000 Investec Oaks with Anthony Oppenheimer's G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Frankly Darling (GB) (Frankel {GB}) leading the home defence from gate three. The Ballydoyle contingent is again numerically strongest with a trio headed by G1 1000 Guineas heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has drawn stall five. Stablemates and Ribblesdale placegetters Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are drawn in four and one respectively.
Final declarations for Sunday's equivalent Classics at Chantilly have also been announced with Godolphin's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) due out of stall one in the 17-runner €900,000 G1 Prix du Jockey Club while the Niarchos Family's G1 Coronation S. heroine Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) gets the same post and heads a field of 11 for the €600,000 Prix de Diane Longines. Michael Tabor's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas victress Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) sidesteps Epsom to line up in stall four for the 10 1/2-furlong test.
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