Betfred Derby preview: Will Ruling Court Stay?

'I just think he’s quick'

Ed Chamberlin: I have my doubts. I was with him in the Guineas but I think I’m reluctantly against him on Saturday. I think he's a really good horse but I have doubts abouts him at the weekend. He was a breeze-up horse and I think he was tuned to the minute for the Guineas.

He looked sensational that day and while William Buick gets a lot of credit for the ride, his instant turn of foot was decisive at Newmarket. I just think he’s quick but isn't it brilliant we have both Guineas winners going to Epsom. It adds so much interest.

Ruling Court could easily go off favourite but I’m reluctantly going to pass him over.

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'He has to be a miler for me'

Ben Linfoot: He has the best form, he’s well balanced, but stamina is a major question mark with him. By Justify out of a High Chaparral mare, on that basis you might think he has a good chance of staying but when you dig deeper into his pedigree it’s all that of a miler.

Just looking at the Guineas, he had too many gears for Field Of Gold who’s come out since and done what he did at the Curragh in the style of a top-class miler. Ruling Court has to be a miler for me, at a stretch ten furlongs.

A mile-and-a-half at Epsom asks such a different question of a horse who has the speed that he showed at Newmarket. We’ve seen the two races won by the same horse over the years but by horses who got away with it in the Guineas, they didn’t get away with it at Epsom. They got away with it over a mile - the likes of Camelot and Sea The Stars - I don’t think you can do it the other way round. If you do you have to be very, very special.

At the prices I have to take him on. I think he’s too quick to win the Derby.

'He’s the potential superstar in the field'

David Johnson: Anything that puts the emphasis on stamina more than speed at the trip is going to be a negative for him so the forecast rain isn’t in his favour. He did win his maiden on good to soft ground so I don’t think ease in the ground in itself would be an issue, but the emphasis on stamina could be.

I think it’s very difficult to have a strong opinion on whether he’ll stay. He’s by Justify who won the Belmont over a mile-and-a-half and sired City Of Troy. The dam is by High Chaparral a Derby winner himself so you can make a case for him staying on pedigree.

If he does I think he’s the one potential superstar in this field because of what we saw him do over a mile, if he can do that over Saturday's trip then the world is his oyster.

He's the one I'd really love to see come and win the race as he could go on and have a great season, but at the price and with the forecast, my hunch is he might just be running on empty in the closing sages.

'Will he get home? I don’t think so...'

Billy Nash: You’d have thought if you want to get Ruling Court beaten the one way to do it is ensure it’s a well-run race. He is a class act but, like Ed, I do worry this is a bit of an after-thought. The Guineas was definitely the main plan with him.

I didn't think prior to Newmarket he'd run in the Derby and I’m sure this will be strongly-run. I’d be flabbergasted if Lambourn isn’t up with the pace, you've got the two Charlie Johnston horses in the race who like to go forward and Ruling Court's stamina will be tested to the limit.

If there are any doubts about it at all they will be found out. It’s a tough ask for William Buick for all he’s riding at the top of his game right now, but there isn’t anything he can do about it if the horse doesn’t stay.

He’s a class act but will he get home? I don’t think so, that's my inkling.

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