Derby

EPSOM DOWNS, UK--Asked to hold up nine fingers to represent his number of wins in the Derby, Aidan O'Brien laughed as he deliberately counted out each one. Two more--and let's face it, he's only 53 and shows no signs of stopping--and he will need to borrow a hand from someone else to keep tally. Only last weekend, O'Brien's record of Group or Grade 1 wins reached 400. Now it stands at 401, and the most recent addition is arguably the most important of all for the wider racing world. The...

Thirty-one protesters were arrested at Epsom on Saturday for attempting to disrupt the Derby, including 12 in the grounds, 11 during early-morning raids on residential addresses, and another eight in a vehicle close to Epsom.  A male protestor from the pressure group Animal Rising was rapidly apprehended after breaking onto the Epsom track near the two-furlong marker shortly after the Derby runners had jumped from the stalls, while a woman was handcuffed on the ground after attempting to jump the fence from the grandstand side while the race was still...

Police acting on intelligence received in connection to potential disruption at the Derby at Epsom have arrested 19 people in pre-dawn raids on Saturday. According to Surrey Police,11 people were arrested at addresses in Mitcham and Byfleet in the early hours of the morning following warrants being issued. A further eight people were arrested after a vehicle was stopped in Burgh Heath, close to Epsom Downs, at about 10.20am. The arrests were made on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance and the 19 people remain in police custody. Last...

The BoyleSports odds for Frankie Dettori to be named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year have shortened from 16-1 to 6-1, prior to his G1 DahlBury Coronation Cup/G1 Betfred Oaks double over the Epsom Downs on Friday. The Italian reinsman is retiring at the end of the year, and Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby, where he will ride Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), is set to be his final appearance in the historic Classic. Arrest currently sits at 9-2 with BoylesSports, with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) eased to 3-1....

He may be one of the biggest supercar collectors in the world, but Sprewell's owner Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim admits that it is the inability to predict what is underneath the bonnet of a racehorse that is the main lure for him to the sport.  The 35-year-old is looking forward to his first Derby runner at Epsom on Saturday with the Jessica Harrington-trained Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). Bred by his father Khalid Abdul Rahaim, who also raced the dam Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}), Sprewell has been described by the Bahraini-based owner...

John Murphy has described himself as very lucky to have come across Betfred Derby contender White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) and says that his 14-1 chance for Epsom glory is more than worthy of his shot in the line-up for the eagerly-awaited Classic.  White Birch identified himself as a bona fide Derby prospect when streaking to G3 Ballysax S. glory at Leopardstown earlier in the season. From there, he went on to overcome a tardy start to finish an excellent second behind The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G2...

The Niarchos Family has had no shortage of Classic success over the years, including at Epsom, where they won a memorably emotional Oaks with the Sir Henry Cecil-trained Light Shift (Kingmambo), but there is to date one omission from their roll call of big-race wins. "We've always dreamt of winning the Derby. We haven't yet, but let's hope that Saturday can go the right way," Alan Cooper, the operation's racing manager, told TDN on Wednesday.  That dream could become reality if Passenger continues to show the level of improvement that...

Saturday's Betfred Derby at Epsom has been boosted by one supplementary entry, with the Niarchos family opting to pay the £85,000 fee to add Dante S. third Passenger (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) to the line-up.  At the confirmation stage, 16 colts remain in contention, with Coolmore's Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Godolphin's Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) vying for favouritism.  The latter is trained by Charlie Appleby, who will be aiming for a third Derby success following Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in 2018 and Military Order's full-brother Adayar...

Jessica Harrington, who will bid to win her first Betfred Derby with Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), has described working with horses as "the best therapy" in her breast cancer battle.  Sprewell was an impressive winner of a Group 3 Derby trial at Leopardstown earlier this month and the 76-year-old trainer believes the colt has what it takes to provide her with a breakthrough victory in the Epsom Classic.  Speaking on a Zoom call organised by The Jockey Club, Harrington said, "I've been delighted with him. We knew he'd come on...

International bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, who purchased Thursday's G2 Dante S. winner The Foxes  (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) on behalf of the King Power team, is backing the colt to get the Derby trip at Epsom.  The Foxes was cut into a general 8-1 chance for Derby glory after winning the key trial at York for trainer Andrew Balding and the in-form jockey Oisin Murphy.  He hails from a family the connections know well, given the half-brother Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) carried the blue and white silks of King Power with...

18.45, Sandown, Listed, £50,000, 3yo, 8fT SLIPOFTHEPEN (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) takes in the Listed Heron S. which the John and Thady Gosden stable have employed for their G1 St James's Palace S. contenders in recent times. Successful in the former Easter S. at Kempton last month, The King and Queen's relative of the Oaks runner-up Flight Of Fancy (GB) (Sadler's Wells) looks likely to extend his unbeaten record and book his Royal Ascot ticket with just three relatively exposed rivals in opposition.

Wide-margin winners trended on a rain-softened opening to Chester's May Festival and, with testing conditions set for day two at the Roodeye, it will be as you were turning to Thursday's Listed Boodles Dee S., another G1 Derby trial, and the Tote-sponsored G3 Ormonde S. for the older stayers. Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' Local Dynasty (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will relish the muddy track, according to Charlie Appleby, and returns off a soft-ground breakthrough score in October's Listed Silver Tankard at Pontefract when last seen. "He has done well over the...