Aidan O'Brien is on the brink of making history at the Betfred Derby in Epsom this Saturday, as he eyes an unprecedented tenth victory. The celebrated trainer has three horses among the 16 contenders vying for glory in the £1.5 million Classic, set to be broadcast live on ITV at 4:30 pm.
Despite his impressive record, 2024 has been a challenging year for the Ballydoyle maestro, with none of his entries winning in the first six major European Classics—a rare occurrence for O'Brien. His horse City Of Troy, once touted as potentially the next 'Frankel', disappointed in the 2,000 Guineas, failing to live up to expectations.
City Of Troy is set for a shot at redemption at Epsom, hoping to mirror the comeback of Auguste Roden, who recovered from a poor performance at Newmarket last year. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, who triumphed in the Leopardstown Derby Trial, is challenging his stablemate for top billing.
The competition also heats up with Godolphin's Ancient Wisdom gaining traction among the punters, particularly with forecasts suggesting softer ground conditions which could play to his strengths. Adding to the drama, Ambiente Friendly, winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial, has been embroiled in controversy after his owners, Bill Gredley and his son Tim, made the bold decision to replace jockey Callum Shepherd with veteran Robert Havlin for this critical race.
Epsom Derby 2024 Main Contenders
City of Troy
Emerging from a lineage of champions, with a Group 1 winner for a mother and an Oaks victor for an aunt, expectations were sky-high for this European champion juvenile. He dazzled early on, effortlessly claiming victory at a Group 2 event in Newmarket over 7 furlongs on good to soft ground. His prowess was further confirmed when he breezed through the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on the Rowley Mile, despite the soft conditions.
However, his return to the track in the 2,000 Guineas over a mile on good ground was unexpectedly lacklustre. Finishing a distant ninth out of 11, his performance left fans and followers bewildered. While his trainer has taken a philosophical stance on this setback, many average punters are now hesitant, preferring to stay on the sidelines until this once-promising star proves himself reliable once more.
Los Angeles
Hailing from a stellar lineage, this colt is the progeny of Derby champion Camelot, with a family tree boasting the likes of Arc winner Urban Sea and 2,000 Guineas victor King's Best. Despite his size and a reputation for being somewhat lackadaisical in training, he's shown nothing but promise on the track, remaining unbeaten in his first two outings. His last victory came impressively in a Group 1 race at Saint-Cloud over 1 mile and 2 furlongs on very soft ground.
He adapted seamlessly to firmer conditions, demonstrating his stamina and improving with each stride in a Group 3 race at Leopardstown over the same distance. With the upcoming race offering an additional two furlongs, this extra stretch is expected to play to his strengths. Given his adaptability to different ground conditions, he stands out as a top contender, rain or shine.
Ambient Friendly
This 2022 Brown Advisory winner has had a patchy profile ever since his Cheltenham romp. He beat subsequent Aintree winner Ahoy Senor that day and returned the following season with a big weight win in the Rehearsal before a fall at the last in the 2022 King George when booked for 2nd behind Bravemansgame.
Epsom Derby 2024 Tips & Prediction
- Ancient Wisdom Each-Way @ 5/1
Inside Track's 1-2-3 Prediction
City of Troy
Ancient Wisdom
Dancing Gemini
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