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The Investec Derby has nine runners headed by the unbeaten Camelot after his trainer Aidan O'Brien decided to rely on the hot favourite and Astrology.
Ireland's champion handler decided to take out Father Of Science, Imperial Monarch and Tower Rock which means he will have his smallest number of Investec Derby runners since 2004 when he had one participant.
O'Brien has won the premier colts' Classic twice, in 2001 when Galileo was his only runner and the following year when High Chaparral was one of three to take part from Ballydoyle.
The 12-furlong Classic, the richest race in Britain with £1,325,00 in prize money, is run for the 233rd time at Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 2 at 4pm.
Camelot is unbeaten in three starts and comes into the Investec Derby on the back of victory in the opening Classic of the season, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket on May 5.
If successful, Camelot would become the 37th horse to win both Classics and the first since Sea The Stars in 2009.
The son of Montjeu is 4/7 favourite with William Hill, the Official Betting Partner of the 2012 Investec Derby Festival. The last horse to win the Derby at odds-on was Shergar, who scored by a record 10 lengths when successful at 10/11 in 1981. Three odds-on favourites since - El Gran Senor (8/11, 1984), Tenby (4/5, 1993) and Entrepreneur (4/6, 1997) - were all beaten.
Joseph O'Brien, the 19-year-old eldest son of Aidan O'Brien, takes the ride on Camelot.
Michael Church, the official historian of the Derby, has checked through his records and can confirm that if Aidan O'Brien and his son Joseph win the Investec Derby with Camelot, they will be the first trainer/jockey father/son combination to do so. This is despite nine Derby winners having the same surname for trainer and jockey - the various pairs of trainer and jockeys named Scott and Day were all brothers.
Astrology (8/1 with William Hill), partnered by Ryan Moore on Saturday, was the impressive 11-length winner of the Group Three Dee Stakes at Chester on May 11. O'Brien saddled the first and second in 2002 when Hawk Wing was runner-up to High Chaparral.
Andrew Cooper, Director of Racing and Clerk of the Course at Epsom Downs Racecourse, commented today: "The Investec Derby is all about producing the best horse - nearly all the trial winners are running and I am not looking at the race and saying which horse is missing.
"I have been quite comfortable with 13 (2011) and 12 (2010 & 2009) runners recently in the Investec Derby as there is less potential for hard-luck stories.
"When Nijinsky won in 1970 there was a field of 11. When you have a potentially outstanding horse, as we have in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Camelot, the desire to take him on with outsiders does not seem to be there maybe as much. So I am not unduly concerned with having nine runners on Saturday."
Hayley Turner will become only the second female jockey to ride in the premier Classic when partnering Cavaleiro (backed from 100/1 into 40/1 with William Hill) for trainer Marcus Tregoning.
Cavaleiro, a son of Tregoning's 2006 Derby hero Sir Percy, won twice as a juvenile before finishing third to Main Sequence on his seasonal reappearance in the Group Three Betfred Derby Trial over a mile and a half on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on May 12.
The strongest opposition to the Ballydoyle challenge may come from the Andrew Balding-trained Bonfire, the 9/2 second favourite with William Hill. The Manduro colt landed the Group Two Betfred Dante Stakes at York on May 17, one of the leading trials for the Investec Derby. Since the turn of the century, North Light (2004), Motivator (2005) and Authorized (2007) have completed the Dante/Derby double, while Workforce (2010) was successful at Epsom Downs after finishing runner-up at York.
Bonfire will be the first runner in the Investec Derby for Andrew Balding, whose father Ian trained Mill Reef to success in 1971. Bonfire is due to be joined by stable companion Minimise Risk (66/1)who won a maiden at Newbury in April before finishing last of five in the Group Three Chester Vase on May 10 on ground that did not suit.
Main Sequence,the 9/1 fourth favourite with William Hill, will be trainer David Lanigan's first runner in the Investec Derby and comes into the race unbeaten in four starts. The Niarchos Family's colt registered his most recent success in the Group Three Betfred Derby Trial over a mile and a half on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on May 12. Regular rider Ted Durcan is booked again.
Another trainer set to saddle his first Investec Derby runner is Richard Fahey, who has left in the well-travelled Mickdaam (25/1). The son of Dubawi finished fourth in the UAE Derby at Meydan, Dubai, in March and entered the picture for the Investec Derby when battling his way to success in the Group Three Chester Vase earlier this month.
John Gosden enjoyed Derby success with Benny The Dip in 1997 and his runner this year is set to be Thought Worthy (16/1), who won the Listed Fairway Stakes at Newmarket on May 19 when Rugged Cross (50/1) was a length back in third. Rugged Cross is trained by Henry Candy, who sent out the 1980 runner-up Master Willie.
LATEST ODDS FROM WILLIAM HILL, OFFICIAL BETTING PARTNER OF THE 2012 INVESTEC DERBY FESTIVAL
Investec Derby: 4/7 Camelot, 9/2 Bonfire, 8/1 Astrology, 9/1 Main Sequence, 16/1 Thought Worthy, 25/1 Mickdaam, 40/1 Cavaleiro 50/1 Rugged Cross, 66/1 Minimise Risk, (EW ¼ 1,2,3)
THE 2012 INVESTEC DERBY
Class 1, Group 1, £1,325,000 Total Prize Fund, 4.00pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, June 2, 2012. For three-year-olds only, entire colts & fillies, 1m 4f and 10yds. Entries closed December 7, 2010 (478 entries). First scratchings' deadline noon, March 6, 2012 (143 remained), £8,000 secondary entry stage noon, April 3, 2012 (5 second entries received), second scratchings deadline noon, May 18, 2012 (24 remained), £75,000 supplementary entry & five-day confirmation stage, noon, May 28, 2012 (12 remained), final declaration stage 10am, May 31, 2012 (nine declared runners). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, May 27, 2012.Form Horse/Draw Owner Trainer Jockey
1)133-1 ASTROLOGY (IRE) 7 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE Ryan Moore
2)13-1 BONFIRE 8 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-Pocahontas Andrew Balding Jimmy Fortune3)11-1 CAMELOT 5 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE Joseph O'Brien
4)33211-(3) CAVALEIRO (IRE) 1 Guy Brook Marcus Tregoning Hayley Turner5)11-1(1) MAIN SEQUENCE (USA) 3 Niarchos Family David Lanigan Ted Durcan
6)301-(6)(2)(1)(4)21 MICKDAAM (IRE) 4 Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum Richard Fahey Paul Hanagan7)215 MINIMISE RISK 9 Fitri Hay Andrew Balding Jamie Spencer
8)51-3 RUGGED CROSS 2 Thomas Barr Henry Candy Dane O'Neill9)1-21 THOUGHT WORTHY (USA) 6 George Strawbridge John Gosden William Buick
9 declared runners2 Irish-trained
TAKEN OUT TODAY
FATHER OF SCIENCE, IMPERIAL MONARCH, TOWER ROCK - all trained by Aidan O'BrienLATEST GOING NEWS AT EPSOM DOWNS - 2.30PM
The going at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Thursday (May 31) at 2.30pm is
Good, good to firm in places.
Watering continues as yesterday (Wednesday) and overnight saw dry weather.
During yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) six millimetres of water wwas applied to the Hill and the home straight. Today (Thursday), three millimetres is being put on the straight.
The GoingStick reading was 8.2 on Thursday at 9am.
It is forecast to be cooler and cloudier from today (Thursday) but remaining mainly dry up to and including Saturday, with temperatures of up to 18/19 degrees Celsius. There could be a chance of a shower tonight.
The far rail will be dolled out tomorrow (Friday) up to six yards in width from the mile start to the winning post, adding approximately eight yards to race distances.
Stalls's Position on Friday, June 1, 2012
1m 4f 10y - Centre
Remainder - Inside