The Lion In Winter wins well under Ryan Moore
Could The Lion In Winter bounce back in the Derby?

Lion In Winter among 20 Betfred Derby contenders for Epsom Classic


Aidan O'Brien has left four colts, including The Lion In Winter, in the Betfred Derby, with two French contenders entering the fray at Monday's supplementary stage.

Long-term market leader The Lion In Winter - only sixth on his seasonal return in the Dante Stakes at York - has taken a walk in the market and been usurped as favourite by stablemate Delacroix in recent days, while the all-conquering Ballydoyle yard could also send fellow trial winners Lambourn and Puppet Master into battle after they also featured among 20 horses in contention for Saturday's Epsom Classic.

There were seven horses taken out of the race including the Dermot Weld-trained Purview and James Owen's Wimbledon Hawkeye, although French-based pair Midak and New Ground were supplemented into the Group One by their respective connections.

The Betfred 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court bids to become the first horse since Camelot in 2012 to win the Newmarket Classic over a mile and follow up over an additional half-mile at Epsom, while his owners Godolphin also have the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Tornado Alert in the mix as an unexposed outsider.

READ: Who are the 2025 Betfred Derby contenders?
READ: Who are the 2025 Betfred Derby contenders?

Trainer Ralph Beckett is potentially going to be double-handed in the Derby, with Dante winner Pride Of Arras to be joined in the field by Stanhope Gardens.

John and Thady Gosden also have two prospective bullets in the shape of Dante runner-up Damysus and Nightwalker, while Charlie Johnston has left in both Lazy Griff and Green Storm.

Joseph O'Brien's Tennessee Stud, third to Delacroix in the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown on May 11, is another still in the shake-up along with Owen Burrows' Al Wasl Storm and Sea Scout for Simon and Ed Crisford. Tuscan Hills (Raphael Freire), Rogue Impact (James Owen) and Nightime Dancer (Richard Hannon) are the other three still engaged to run.

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Betfred Derby runners

Delacroix

Ruling Court

Pride of Arras

The Lion In Winter

Damysus

Lambourn

Midak

Stanhope Gardens

Nightwalker

New Ground

Tornado Alert

Tennessee Stud

Puppet Master

Tuscan Hills

Lazy Griff

Al Wasl Storm

Sea Scout

Nightime Dancer

Rogue Impact

Green Storm


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