Epsom Derby

We are increasingly familiar with the kind of traction even the most brazen untruth can achieve in the era of social media. I guess people either no longer believe in hell, or they've decided they're headed there anyway. But let's not kid ourselves that we were ever especially diligent in authenticating what we read in the Good Old Days of hot-metal print. How apt, for instance, that a highly pertinent observation long credited to Mark Twain--that "a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting...

G1 Investec Derby AMHRAN NA BHFIANN (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Alluring Park {Ire}, by Green Desert) The lightly raced Amhran Na Bhfiann is looking to break his maiden in this ambitious spot, and the Lodge Park Stud-bred, 1.3-million gns yearling has Classic capability on pedigree, being a full-brother to the likewise Coolmore campaigned G1 Investec Oaks winner Was (Ire) and the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Douglas Macarthur (Ire). The listed-placed dam Alluring Park has also produced the listed-winning Janood (Ire) (Medicean {GB}) and the dual Group 3-placed Al Naamah (Ire)...

Live coverage of Saturday's G1 Investec Derby and G1 Investec Oaks from Epsom Downs Racecourse will be shown by more than 30 broadcasters across the globe, including, for the first time, FOX Sports 1 (FS1). TVG will also present the English Classics, in addition to the following North/South American platforms: the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, HPI (Canada); ESPN (Latin America, Caribbean) and SportsMax (Caribbean). Saturday's Oaks has a post time of 10:40 a.m. ET while the Derby is scheduled for 11:55 a.m. ET. On Sunday, June 5, TVG will also present...

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...

Aidan O'Brien has a top squad of British-based jockeys at the ready for his team of seven potential G1 Investec Derby runners, among them William Buick, James Doyle and Adam Kirby. Ryan Moore will have first choice of whatever the Ballydoyle master opts to leave in the race, but with coronavirus health restrictions continuing to make it complicated for riders to travel across Europe, as at Royal Ascot and with the Guineas O'Brien's Irish-based riders are unlikely to travel. "We don't know what Ryan will ride. He'll always make that...

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has revealed that the door is still open for Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) to attempt to make it two Derbies in seven days in the Epsom version on July 4. Santiago and his five stablemates that contested the Curragh Classic could be entered for the G1 Investec Derby on Monday, O'Brien told Racing TV's Luck On Sunday programme. "It's very possible [those that ran in Irish Derby could run at Epsom]," O'Brien said. "If any of them come out...

'TDN Rising Star' Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was eye-catching while keeping his unbeaten record intact when winning a Haydock novice race on Wednesday, generating Derby whispers, but the Niarchos Family's homebred will bypass the July 4 G1 Investec Derby. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained son of Celestial Lagoon (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) is likely to target the G2 Dante S. at York on July 9 next. "The Derby comes too soon in his career," said Racing Manager Alan Cooper. "He's a nice horse in the making. He only ran two days...

Trainer Andrew Balding said he has "been really pleased" with Kameko (Kitten's Joy) since his victory in the June 6 G1 2000 Guineas, and that the Qatar Racing colorbearer came through a racecourse gallop at Kempton on Wednesday well. He is aiming for the July 4 G1 Investec Derby. "He went to Kempton [on Wednesday] for a gallop, which we did before Newmarket 10 days prior, and it went well," Balding said. "We had the option of going to Epsom, they kindly offered, but I felt he needed a decent...

Godolphin G3 Autumn S. winner and G1 2000 Guineas fourth Military March (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) has been ruled out of the July 4 G1 Investec Derby after suffering a setback, according to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. Military March was third favourite for the blue riband. "He'll be back by the end of the season, but his setback means no Derby," the trainer said. "He's a nice horse, we like him and he was doing really well so it's really unfortunate. He'll have a break now, but he should be...

G1 Investec Derby favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and new rider Frankie Dettori had an opportunity to get acquainted with one another on the Lambourn gallops on Wednesday, with the Italian partnering the Ed Walker-trained Listed Derby Trial S. winner in a piece of work. "Today is 10 days out from the Derby, which is always when I would do my last proper piece of work with a horse, and he worked very well," Walker said. "Frankie came in and had a sit on him, and everything went smoothly....

Frankie Dettori, who on Monday picked up the mount on favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) in the July 4 G1 Investec Derby, told Sky Sports Racing on Tuesday that he will get acquainted with Bjorn Nielsen's Listed Derby Trial S. winner this week. "I'm going to go and ride him this week," Dettori said. "I can only go on what I've seen, but he was impressive at Newcastle last year, and very impressive at Lingfield. "He's interesting. On the plus side, he went round Lingfield like it was a...

Favorite: My all-ime favorite was Triptych (Riverman). She was nicknamed the "Iron Lady" like Maggie Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the U.K. (and the longest serving). She won 14 times. She frequently took her game to the boys, by accelerating from a position of power close to the pace, and was relentless all the way to the line. Triptych won the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac as a 2-year-old and ran in every major race as a 3-year-old. I was at The Curragh when she won the Irish 2,000...