Your Runner Guide to the 2025 Derby
The 2025 Derby has an open look to it. Will the premier classic go to an Aidan O’Brien trained horse once again?
Pride Of Arras was impressive when winning the Dante Stakes at York. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- Britain’s richest flat horse race will take place at Epsom on June 7th.
- Aidan O’Brien trains the top two horses in the betting.
- Ruling Court will attempt the difficult 2000 Guineas/Derby double.
- Pride Of Arras is strongly fancied despite his inexperience.
The first Saturday in June can only mean one thing: The Derby at Epsom Downs. The one-mile four-furlong contest, staged on the Surrey racecourse’s unique horseshoe-shaped roller-coaster circuit, is the most coveted prize in British horseracing.
First staged in 1780, the Derby, often called the “Blue Riband” of the turf, is Britain’s richest flat horse race and the most prestigious of the five Classics. The top UK online gambling sites have an ante-post book open on the contest for 11 months of every year.
Seven of the last eight editions have gone to horses trained by Aidan O’Brien or Charlie Appleby. Horses prepared by this pair dominate the betting for this year’s renewal. However, this contest has not been a playground for favourite backers.
Big Priced Winners and Low Derby Draws
Since 2017, four winners have been priced 16/1 or greater. Trainers that have visited Epsom’s famous winner’s enclosure, such as Dermot Weld and John Gosden, currently have Derby entries quoted at double-digit odds.
Here, we will look at the entries for the 2025 Derby and consider the credentials of the favoured candidates and the chances of some of the outsiders. The Betfred sponsored race will have a maximum field of 20 runners. 25 horses are currently entered.
The final declarations will be known shortly after 10 am on Wednesday, June 4th, and the draw will be made an hour later. Connections will be keen to avoid stall 2, as no Derby winner has broken from that starting slot since gates were introduced for the race in 1967!
Eight of the last 10 Derby winners were drawn in stall 7 or higher. Despite last year’s winner starting from stall 1 (and 2021’s scorer, Adayar), a low draw is undeniably disadvantageous.
An early right-hand turn forces low-drawn horses to the outer. Afterwards, the field swings back to the left, meaning those held up from a low draw regularly find horses coming across their path, causing traffic problems.
Delacroix (Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Odds: 11/4)
Trained by the most successful trainer in the famous race, Delacroix is sired by top miler Dubawi. His dam was a star American mare campaigned almost exclusively over a mile.
A game performance from Delacroix, taking out the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes after staying on strongly to the line, a double for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore 🥇 pic.twitter.com/goPl8G9zCi
— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) March 30, 2025
That pedigree will worry many, but this colt, beaten by a nose in Group-1 company as a two-year-old, looked good when winning two recognised Derby trial races over ten furlongs in Leopardstown.
The second and fourth in his first Leopardstown success have franked the form with top-drawer success since. The form has a rock-solid look about it. Furthermore, his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, recently reported: “He’s really well, and his two trials went perfectly. Everything is going to plan. He’s big and powerful and is maturing well. We’re all very happy.”
The Lion In Winter (Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Odds: 11/4)
The winner of both starts a two-year-old, The Lion In Winter took the scalp of subsequent 2000 Guineas winner, Ruling Court, before being put away for the winter. However, his return to action produced an underwhelming sixth-placed finish in York’s Dante Stakes.
Connections appear convinced that this son of the brilliant Sea The Stars (a Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner) will be a different proposition at Epsom, and he brings a considerable reputation to the party.
Statistically, plenty is going against The Lion In Winter – including the fact that eight of the ten most recent Derby winners have won a race as a three-year-old before arriving at Epsom.
Ruling Court (Trainer: Charlie Appleby, Odds: 4/1)
Following defeat in York’s Acom Stakes (started favourite but finished third behind The Lion In Winter), Ruling Court enjoyed his winter in Dubai and resurfaced to take the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in Meydan.
That was not a strong race, but he stepped up on that form to land the 2000 Guineas in early May, and the runner-up has already franked the form. Bidding to be only the third horse to complete the 2000 Guineas and Derby double since 1989 and stepping up considerably in trip (by four furlongs), many will be wary.
However, his sire, Justify, was responsible for last year’s Derby winner, City Of Troy, and his grandfather (on his mother’s side of the family) is another Derby winner, High Chaparral.
Pride Of Arras (Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Odds: 9/2)
Raced just once as a juvenile – winning a mile maiden at Sandown Park, which has previously gone to Group 1 winners Too Darn Hot and Westover – Pride Of Arras was a surprise 18/1 winner of the Dante Stakes on his second career start.
Pride Of Arras flashed some impressive late numbers in what was something of a dash in the @ABE_Dubai Dante Stakes at @yorkracecourse.@AngusMcNae also explains why second Damysus could be of real interest moving forward 👀#TheVerdict | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/mEfEQwX6Df
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 19, 2025
Hot favourite, The Lion In Winter, finished only sixth in this contest, giving the Derby betting a bewildering look.
The lack of experience is a concern, but his trainer says, “He’s a very well-balanced horse, and I’d be reasonably confident he could go around Epsom.”
Unlike the horses above him in the betting, Pride Of Arras’ family tree is stamina-laden, and 12 furlongs will not present a problem. He was pulling clear in the closing stages of the 10-furlong Dante Stakes.
Other Derby Horses to Consider
Based on their meeting in the Dante Stakes, John Gosden’s Damysus (12/1) has a length-and-a-quarter to find with Pride Of Arras.
His second-placed effort represented a big step forward on his previous outing, and this son of Frankel hails from a stable that does not confuse its ducks with swans.
Brushed aside by Delacroix in an established Leopardstown Derby trial, Lambourn (20/1) subsequently won the Chester Vase (over the Derby’s one-mile four-furlongs) impressively and is another with no stamina doubts.
He may be Aidan O’Brien’s third string, but the trainer’s CV is littered with big-priced winners that started a Group-1 race as a conceived number two or number three hope. Lambourn is, therefore, a viable each-way contender.
