Horse Racing Betting Tips: Stop fooling around and stick with Sir Dragonet in the Investec Derby
ONCE again, trainer Aidan O’Brien appears to hold all the aces when it comes to tomorrow’s Investec Derby (4.30pm) as he bids to land the world’s most famous Flat race for a seventh time.
The likes of Japan, Anthony Van Dyck and BROOME have all held prominent positions in the ante-post lists over the winter, but it is the stable’s SIR DRAGONET who has burst onto the Epsom scene having only made his racecourse debut earlier last month.
Named after King Arthur’s jester, Sir Dragonet was known for his tomfoolery and apparently would flee away from battle at the slightest provocation.
It appeared that similar was expected of his equine namesake when sent off an unfancied 14/1 shot for his Tipperary maiden, but he pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat by scoring by an effortless three lengths.
That was an impressive enough introduction, but pales into insignificance with what he did visually in the Chester Vase on his latest start.
Again, he was relatively unfancied in the market, but after a somewhat sluggish first half of the contest he warmed to the task and went on to bolt up by eight lengths.
Plenty have crabbed the form with leading fancies King Ottokar and Technician under-performing, but you couldn’t help but be impressed by the way the winner knuckled down and ran all the way to the line.
If there is an unknown with Sir Dragonet, it is his ability to handle quick ground and with the weather set fair over the next few days that looks a given.
However, there is nothing to suggest that he won’t handle it and the fact that his connections have had to fork out £85,000 to supplement him back into a race they had originally withdrawn him from suggests they have no concerns either.
Coolmore weren’t the only ones having to get the chequebook out this week and I suspect the supplementary fee burnt a slightly deeper hole in the pockets of the Castle Down Racing syndicate as they opted to add impressive Dante Stakes winner TELECASTER to the final field too.
Similar to Sir Dragonet, the son of New Approach has also appeared from leftfield having only made his first racecourse start at Doncaster in March.
He finished a close second that day behind Bangkok, who also lines up tomorrow, and then went on to bolt up at Windsor last month.
That was an impressive performance, but he built on that again when fending off Too Darn Hot in the Dante Stakes at York to book his ticket to Epsom.
Being by a Derby winner out of an Oaks runner-up, there is every chance that Telecaster will improve again for the step up in trip and he looks a leading contender.
There is no reason to suggest that Bangkok should be that far behind him, and he looks sure to be well supported with champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa booked to ride.
The horse carries the King Power Racing colours of the former Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash last October and it would be fitting if the colt could land the greatest race of them all.
O’Brien dominated the Derby trials and for my last pick I’m going to side with Broome who has matured dramatically with age and looks likely to improve the further he goes.
He won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial last time and shaped like a real Epsom candidate doing all his best work late on.
Whether he has the star quality of the likes of Sir Dragonet and Telecaster remains to be seen, but he stays well and that counts for a lot.
There used to be an old saying in racing that ‘fourth in the Guineas wins the Derby’ and although it has been 28 years since Generous gave that claim some credibility, Irish raider Madhmoon could cause a shock if seeing out the trip.
It would cap a remarkable training career for 87-year-old Kevin Prendergast who is looking for his second British Classic victory 42 years after the first one.
BILL ESDAILE’S INVESTEC DERBY 1-2-3
1 SIR DRAGONET
2 TELECASTER
3 BROOM