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Camille Pissaro market leader for French Derby
Ryan Moore riding City Of Troy on their way to winning the 16:30 Betfred Derby on June 1, 2024, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Britain.
In a race in which there is more than a 2-1 advantage for winning horses drawn with single figures going back to 2005, Ryan Moore must hold a huge benefit on Camille Pissarro, drawn from stall one.
Ryan craves the rail and the long, single sweep of Chantilly's right-hand bend places a premium on not being parked wide for more than a third of the total distance.
Aidan O'Brien holds some reservations as to whether Camille Pissarro will see out a strongly run race over this trip, and, while going the shortest way round will certainly assist, there is a shortage of fancied runners, so, there are question marks.
There is a clutch of four interesting runners in King Of Cities, Ridari, Cualificar and Luther. Each will need plenty of luck in running and the question is whether they can pull one another into contention or get in each other's way when launching their challenge.
Of that quartet, it is easy to envisage Kieran Shoemark being the most positive on Luther. - He led the Poule d'Essai des Poulains from out wide and stayed steady to be fourth. King of Cities is another strong traveler.
Ridari might have been third in the Poulains but for being hampered. He possesses a turn of foot, as long as Mickael Barzalona can get him settled – the preliminaries will be crucial for the Aga Khan's first string. Cualificar impressed the early birds on Les Aigles in his final piece of work, and has the assistance of William Buick Leffard was tenderly ridden behind Nitoi in the Prix de Suresnes and would not be the biggest surprise.
Another who might outrun his odds is Prix de Guiche runner-up, Al Aali. Trinity College has a fair opportunity to sparkle. Frankly Good Cen and Detain, both have to be in the mixture. Very open situation for the 2,400m Classic.
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Not everyone thrives in the sunshine. Since rain began heavily, Ed Walker's yard blossomed - he capped a memorable treble with Ten Bob Tony. The long dry spell made life tricky at the trainer's yard in Upper Lambourn, where the gallops were simply too quick to use. It was no coincidence his first two big wins of the season came on an easier surface in France.
His zippy sprinter Mgheera shook the Temple Stakes, and, Almaqam threw down a marker for races from the Prince of Wales's Stakes to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, by eclipsing the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown. Balmoral Lady boxed the Listed Achilles Stakes here, then Scenic collected the Bronte Cup at York.
It took a while before the result was confirmed at Haydock, after a lengthy stewards' inquiry, which prolonged the agony for Ed who was at York. Without sounding spoiled, it was so important he won. Ten Bob Tony was Simon's first ever horse and he's now come into the game in quite a big way.
William Buick was cautioned for careless riding as the stewards judged he caused runner-up Kinross, who was beaten a head, to be carried marginally off his intended line. William is well known for not being a careless jockey.
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They do not come much shrewder than David O'Meara. He said Estrange should be entered for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and was proved spot on as she bolted up, having her odds slashed to 16-1 for Longchamp.
The Cheveley Park-owned four-year-old had run only three times and was making her Group debut in the Betfred Nifty 50 Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes, but she was always cruising under Danny Tudhope and came from off the pace to win by a crushing 4.4 lengths. The win completed a double for David and Danny, after Stressfree, who makes a habit of going close in middle-distance handicaps, finally got his head back in front in the £45,000 1m4f contest.