FA Cup Balls, Twenty Colts and a Very Wide-Open Derby: Epsom’s Puzzle for the Punting Masses
đź“… Saturday 8 June 2025 | đź•ž 3:30pm | đź“Ť Epsom Downs Racecourse
There’s a certain eccentric charm to British sport – and this year’s Derby has decided to lean right into it. While most of the racing world debates stamina doubts and inexperience in the favourite’s camp, Epsom has brought in… FA Cup balls. Yes, the same velvet bag and numbered spheres used to draw plucky minnows against Premier League royalty are now part of the Derby stall draw. In the middle of Epsom town centre. On a Wednesday. Because why not?
For all the novelty off the course, the real intrigue is firmly on it. The 246th running of the Betfred Derby promises not only one of the biggest fields of the century – with 20 colts still in the mix at the five-day stage – but arguably the most unpredictable in years. There’s no standout superstar, no nailed-on banker, no “lump-on” certainty. What we do have, however, is a fantastic betting heat.
And in that spirit, those partial to a punt may wish to know that BetTom, a newly-launched UK bookmaker making waves, is offering new customers up to ÂŁ25 in free bets. A tempting little boost for anyone brave enough to take on the Derby conundrum.
Big Field, Big Questions, No Clear Favourite
It’s been 22 long years since the Derby hosted a full field of 20, but that’s now well within reach. Back in 2003, it was Kris Kin and Kieren Fallon who bested 19 rivals on a thrilling dash down the hill. This year’s race could echo that chaos, thanks to Monday’s addition of two new players: Midak, an unbeaten son of Footstepsinthesand running in the colours of the late Aga Khan IV, and New Ground, who ran Cualificar – Sunday’s French Derby runner-up – to just a length in April.
They’ll join a cast that includes Ruling Court, this year’s 2,000 Guineas winner, as well as proven trial heroes from Leopardstown, York and Chester. If you like your Derby to be a bit of a guessing game – welcome home.
Delacroix: Solid Credentials, Slight Scepticism
At the head of the market sits Delacroix, an elegant mover with two stylish wins at Leopardstown this season under his belt. Aidan O’Brien, who trains the colt, and Ryan Moore, likely to be aboard on Saturday, need little in the way of an introduction. Between them, they’ve collected Classics like novelty mugs.
Delacroix ticks plenty of boxes. He’s progressing, possesses a nice turn of foot, and has dismantled a few decent types with a bit in hand. His price, hovering around 11/4, tells you as much.
Yet, scratch beneath the surface and a few warning lights flicker. For one, O’Brien’s record with Leopardstown trial winners is oddly underwhelming. Since the back-to-back Derby triumphs of Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral(2002), he’s sent out 14 winners of that same race. Just two have followed up in the Derby. The rest, including the heavily-backed Bolshoi Ballet, Fame And Glory and Stone Age, have flattered only to disappoint.
Strip away the bookmakers’ margin and that 11/4 equates to a 25% chance of success. Or, viewed more bluntly, a 75% chance he doesn’t win. Suddenly, the favourite looks rather vulnerable.
Ruling Court: Guineas Glory, But Will He Stay?
Just a tick behind in the market at 4/1 is Ruling Court, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick – both of whom have had quite the spring. With the 2,000 Guineas already bagged and Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineasheroine, fancied to win Friday’s Oaks, the pair are in rare form. Should Ruling Court add the Derby to the tally, Buick could be on the cusp of Classic history.
Yet questions remain – big ones. Not least over stamina. Ruling Court has never run beyond a mile, and while there’s no doubting his class or cruising speed, Epsom is a graveyard for horses who don’t see out the trip.
Buick himself doesn’t sugar-coat it. You find out if they stay, he reckons, when it’s almost too late to do anything about it. His job will be to settle Ruling Court, conserve energy, and hope the petrol tank doesn’t hit zero as the line looms.
Still, he seems bullish about his chances, and rightly so. “The Classics are what it’s all about,” he mused earlier this week. “You set out every season to find that Classic horse – and this year I think I’ve got two.”
Pride Of Arras: Raw, Unbeaten, and a Real Wildcard
Next in the pecking order is Pride Of Arras, priced around 9/2, and looking to give Ralph Beckett another crack at Derby glory. He’s unbeaten in two, including an eye-catching win in the Dante Stakes, a race that often shines a light on Derby winners.
Pride Of Arras is still learning on the job, but his ability to quicken and sustain a run through the line is encouraging. That said, the Dante wasn’t exactly a war of attrition – it was run at a canter early on, and the entire field finished within eight lengths. You wouldn’t call it the deepest trial of all time.
On pedigree, he doesn’t scream Derby winner. His sire, New Bay, was a French Derby winner and Arc third, but his dam’s side leans more jumps than Flat. Still, he’s doing everything right so far – and that’s often half the battle.
The Lion In Winter: Flashes of Brilliance, Form in Tatters
Then we have The Lion In Winter, another O’Brien-trained runner, who opened his account last year with two stylish wins and was at one point favourite for the Derby. He beat Ruling Court comfortably in the Acomb at York and looked like a colt on the rise.
Since then? Not much has gone right. He missed key races last autumn with a foot issue and flopped in the Dante, pulling too hard and fading into sixth. While his talent is clear, his preparation has been patchy at best.
Punters seem unsure. His price plummeted immediately after the Dante, only to drift back out to double figures and then settle somewhere in the middle. His performance at York as a juvenile remains his trump card – but he’ll need to rediscover that spark quickly.
The Best of the Rest – Don’t Forget the Outsiders
Beyond the headline acts, there’s a lively supporting cast itching to upset the party. Damysus, second in the Dante, has caught the eye of many each-way players at around 10/1, particularly given the likelihood of improvement over the trip.
Then there’s the lightly-raced pair Midak and New Ground, both supplemented on Monday at no small cost. The former is unbeaten and represents the Aga Khan’s famous silks, while the latter ran a cracker in France and is quietly fancied by some to outrun his odds.
Stanhope Gardens, trained by Beckett, had a peculiar prep – beating just two rivals at Salisbury – but he was flagged early in the season as a Derby type. If you’re looking for a curveball, he could be it.
And let’s not forget Aidan O’Brien’s back-ups – Puppet Master and Lambourn – both of whom won recognised trials at Lingfield and Chester. With five of O’Brien’s ten Derby winners not being the shortest-priced from his own yard, it’d be daft to rule them out based on the market alone.
Finally, the likes of Tuscan Hills, Al Wasl Storm and Green Storm might appear out of their depth, but their connections have a habit of lighting up the frame with horses priced like they’ve no right to be there.
Conclusion: A Derby That’s as Clear as Mud – Just How We Like It
So where does that leave us? With a favourite you can easily pick holes in, market leaders with obvious flaws, and at least half a dozen lurking dangers.
It’s chaos, really. Glorious, unpredictable, Epsom-flavoured chaos.
But whether you’re latching on to Delacroix, rolling the dice with Ruling Court, or sniffing around a 25/1 shot hoping for Frankie-style fireworks, one thing is certain: this Derby is wide open. The stalls might be drawn from an FA Cup bag, but for punters, this one’s already the equivalent of a fourth-round tie on a muddy pitch in January.
And if you’re looking for a little betting ammunition, remember that BetTom, the exciting new UK bookmaker, is offering up to £25 in free bets to get you started.
Come Saturday afternoon, the FA Cup balls will be back in storage. But the answers to all those lingering questions about stamina, class, and nerve? They’ll be decided in the final two furlongs at Epsom. Hold tight.
