Bangkok to seal poignant first win for King Power
Some are describing the 240th Investec Derby at Epsom today, the first in living memory when one trainer has saddled more than half the field, as the “Ballydoyle” Derby, but it is more open and unpredictable than that.
The man at the Ballydoyle helm, Aidan O’brien, would be the first to admit that although he fields seven of the 13 runners, there are no guarantees that one will give him the seventh Derby winner to equal the record held by great trainers across the centuries: Robert Robson, John Porter, Fred Darling.
His team are headed by Sir Dragonet, a colt by Camelot. With Ryan Moore on board he is clearly their No1, but his is a tall order. Six weeks ago he had not seen a racecourse and no one had heard of him. His two runs have been on flat tracks in soft ground and today he faces the Eiger on fast ground.
O’brien has already proved that running at two is not a prerequisite for winning the Derby, having done so with Ruler of The World, and while it is entirely possible Sir Dragonet will be even better on fast ground, his action suggests he may find conditions too quick for him today.
Broome, ridden by the trainer’s son Donnacha, is solid rather than spectacular, a bit workmanlike getting to his pacemaker in his trial. He will want to travel better in a Derby but he should improve markedly for a mile and a half.
Circus Maximus also races a bit lazily, so it is hard to know what Frankie Dettori might extract from him. Japan looks like a rushed job but Lingfield winner Anthony Van Dyck is another good shot.
The other Irish runner, Madhmoon fits the age-old racing maxim: fourth in the Derby, first in the Derby. Though he is not guaranteed to get home on pedigree his experienced trainer, Kevin Prendergast, believes he will. If that is the case he can figure very prominently in the finish.
But I have a strong feeling that the 240th Derby will be staying at home. A victory for Bangkok today looks as written in the stars as it is the form book and can provide the race with one of its most poignant winners in recent times.
The Australia colt, trained by Andrew Balding, who has his own Derby pedigree, and owned by racing’s newest superpower, King Power Racing, whose enthusiastic founder, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was killed in a helicopter crash when leaving his other great sporting love, Leicester City FC, in October.
But while everyone assesses the relative value of each of the major trials it may well be, unlikely as it sounds, that the 32Red Casino Maiden at Doncaster on the opening day of the season holds the biggest clue to this year’s race.
In it Bangkok beat Telecaster a length and a quarter with nine lengths back to the third. It could be between the same two horses today and Bangkok can win the argument again.
Both have run again. Hughie Morrison had to fit in two more quick runs for Telecaster, who unquestionably had a hard race in the Dante 16 days ago, when he beat Too Darn Hot to give him enough experience.
But on what little evidence there is to go on with a colt early in his Classic season, Bangkok is best fresh, and goes to Epsom not having run for a month since he won the Sandown trial. Today he can give Balding, King Power and Silvestre de Sousa an emotional first Derby.