Ruling Court Is Drawn Best of Fancied Runners in the Derby
Nineteen horses have been declared for the 246th Betfred Derby, which will take place at Epsom Downs on Saturday. It will be the biggest field for the Classic since 2003.
Will William Buick celebrate aboard the 2000 Guineas winner, Ruling Court, again on Saturday? © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- Ryan Moore will ride Derby favourite Delacroix.
- Starting from stall 7, Ruling Court has fared well in the draw.
- New Ground and Midak are surprise late entries from France.
- 1000 Guineas winner Desert Flower is favourite to go six-from-six in the Oaks.
Ryan Moore has been confirmed as the rider of the Derby favourite Delacroix for Aidan O’Brien. The Irish trainer is eyeing a record 11th victory in the race with three entries. His, The Lion In Winter, will be partnered by Irish champion jockey Colin Keane.
Lambourn is Aidan O’Brien’s third representative. The Chester Vase winner’s chances were boosted when he drew the ‘lucky’ stall 10. Ten Derby winners have started from the gate since starting stalls were first introduced in 1967.
The draw has seen a revision in the Derby betting. A culmination of Ryan Moore opting to partner Delacroix and The Lion In Winter being allocated stall 19 has seen the son of Sea The Stars drift alarmingly with the UK’s online gambling sites.
Dante Stakes winner Pride of Arras is set to jump from stall 16 two places to the outside of Delacroix. 2000 Guineas winner, Ruling Court, possibly has the best draw among the fancied runners.
The Charlie Appleby-trained horse will start from stall seven and has shortened in the betting because of his prime slot. Currently available on 3/1 odds, the mount of two-time Champion Jockey William Buick is now challenging Delacroix for favouritism.
French Runners and a Coffin Box
Not in the picture a week ago, two French runners have been supplemented into the Derby field. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Midak, a Group-3 winner who is unbeaten in three career starts, appears to hold the best chance. He is top-priced 16/1 and will start from stall 4.
Ruling Court in 7, Delacroix in 14…
This is where past winners have come from in the @Betfred Derby 👇 pic.twitter.com/P9xYGxXxF5
— The Jockey Club (@TheJockeyClub) June 4, 2025
The UK’s top sportsbooks have given Henri-Francois Devin’s New Ground a more dismissive 50/1 quote. He was last seen at the beginning of May when a staying-on third in a listed contest over 10 furlongs at Chantilly racecourse.
Stanhope Gardens will emerge from the dreaded ‘coffin box’ of stall 2. His only win as a juvenile came at Beverley, and his only outing and success as a three-year-old came in a three-runner race at Salisbury.
Nevertheless, a close second to Delacroix during his two-year-old campaign means bookmakers are wary of this Ralph Beckett-trained runner, and he is trading on 16/1 odds despite his troublesome starting stall.
Nine in the Oaks Including Guineas Winner
Aidan O’Brien also has three horses declared for the Oaks sponsored by online casino and sportsbook, Betfred. The Group-1 Classic for fillies takes place less than 24 hours before the Derby. A smaller field of just nine runners means the draw is not as significant as it is for the colt’s Classic.
The Oaks Field (in betting order):
- 11/8 – Desert Flower (William Buick)
- 4/1 – Minnie Hauk (Ryan Moore)
- 13/2 – Whirl (Wayne Lordan)
- 7/1 – Giselle (Colin Keane)
- 10/1 – Elwateen (Jim Crowley)
- 11/1 – Revoir (Hector Crouch)
- 20/1 – Wemightakedlongway (Dylan Browne McMonagle)
- 22/1 – Qilin Queen (Tom Marquand)
- 50/1 – Go Go Boots (Oisin Murphy)
Six of the Oaks field were last-time-out winners. The favourite, Desert Flower is the highest-rated runner on the field and brings an unbeaten five-from-five record to the party. Elwateen and Revoir have raced just twice but were beaten on their only 2025 outings.
Like Derby hope Ruling Court, Desert Flower won her version of the Guineas, is trained by Charlie Appleby and will be ridden by William Buick. She is also tackling a trip four furlongs further than she has encountered before.
How to Watch the Derby and Oaks
You can watch the Oaks (4 pm Friday) and Derby (3.30 pm Saturday) live on terrestrial channel ITV, subscription channel, Racing TV and via the best UK online betting sites that offer live streaming.
