A total of 139 horses (up from 96 at the same stage in 2019) remain engaged for the 2020 Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 6, following the first scratchings deadline, details of which were revealed today.
The 241st running of the premier Classic takes place on the second day of the Investec Derby Festival and carries a total prize fund of at least £1.5 million, making it the most valuable race run in Britain.
Those remaining in the race were all entered as yearlings in December 2018.
There is a £9,000 second entry stage on Tuesday, 7 April and an £85,000 supplementary entry stage on Monday, 1 June.
ANTHONY VAN DYCK (Galileo x Believe N Succeed) wins the G1 Epsom Derby. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan. Photo – Bronwen Healy. The Image is Everything. Bronwen Healy Photography.
Aidan O’Brien registered a record-equalling seventh Investec Derby victory in 2019, courtesy of Anthony Van Dyck, and Ireland’s multiple champion trainer has 47 entries going forward as he chases an unprecedented eighth success in the 12-furlong showpiece.
O’Brien’s formidable team includes Innisfree, Year Of The Tiger and Mogul, who filled the places in that order behind Kameko (Andrew Balding) in the rearranged G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Newcastle in November. The G1 National Stakes runner-up Armory and G2 Royal Lodge Stakes victor Royal Dornoch are also engaged for the Ballydoyle trainer.
Aidan O’Brien (photo: Coolmore)
The total number of entries trained by the O’Brien family stands at 55, with four entries each for Aidan O’Brien’s sons Joseph, who rode Camelot (2012) and Australia (2014) to Investec Derby success, and Donnacha, who landed the 2018 Investec Oaks on Forever Together and commenced his training career at the end of 2019.
Godolphin’s Pinatubo (Charlie Appleby) is the 7/1 favourite with Unibet, official betting partner of the Investec Derby Festival, although he does not currently hold an entry.
The Shamardal colt carried all before him in six starts last season, with his winning streak headlined by a memorable nine-length victory in the G1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh in September – a performance that earned him the highest two-year-old rating for 25 years.
Britain’s champion trainer John Gosden, successful with Benny The Dip (1997) and Golden Horn (2015), has the hugely exciting Waldkonig among his 16 contenders. A half-brother to last year’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Waldgeist, the Kingman colt could not have been more impressive on debut at Wolverhampton in December. Gosden’s team also features Newmarket maiden winner Tuscan Gaze and Darain, who is an unraced full brother to multiple G1 scorer Too Darn Hot.
Sir Michael Stoute, pictured above, enjoyed the most recent of his five Investec Derby triumphs in 2010 with Workforce. The Newmarket handler’s four entries are led by unbeaten pair Highest Ground and Satono Japan, who made eye-catching debuts at Leicester and Kempton Park respectively at the backend of last season.
Hughie Morrison has two promising colts in Starcat and Kipps. The former won a well-contested novice race first time out at Kempton Park on 11 December, while the latter was off the mark at the second attempt in a similar contest over 10 furlongs at Lingfield Park on 28 December.
Morrison said: “Starcat and Kipps are two nice horses.
“Starcat won nicely on his debut at Kempton. I am not sure he is a horse who will stay a mile and a half, but hopefully he has a nice future ahead of him.
“Kipps is a lovely horse and I was pleased with his victory last time out. He could potentially head for the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom in April as a starting point. He looks exciting as he should enjoy that trip.
“Both horses are working well and hopefully they can have a good campaign.”
The three fillies going forward include Do You Love Me (Karl Burke), who is an unraced full sister to 2018 Investec Oaks heroine Forever Together and cost €3.2 million at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2018.
