Simon Holt Betfred Derby preview and tip

When Ryan Moore was being escorted back to the weighing room following the Prix Du Jockey Club presentation at Chantilly on Sunday, a young British racegoer shouted across from the other side of the rails.

"Well done Ryan!", he said. "How did you win from stall 15?"

Typically, Moore did not reply in a particularly loquacious manner but what he says is often significant and he replied: "Because I was riding an exceptional horse."

A few minutes earlier, viewers could overhear a small interaction between Aidan O'Brien and his jockey in which Moore said that Constitution River "didn't feel quite as good as the last time (at Chester)."

There are microphones everywhere on big racedays in France and the opportunity to eavesdrop, like Gene Hackman in 'The Conversation', before and after races, can be very informative and the trainers and jockeys in France don't seem to mind.

Whether their British counterparts would welcome such an intrusion is questionable, but they might consider it better than being regularly doorstepped by Matt Chapman.

Quite rightly, O'Brien was showered with congratulations after sending out the first three home in Sunday's Classic and, not for the first time, it was a tactical triumph with the disadvantage of Constitution River's draw reduced when his stablemates Montreal and Hawk Mountain were sent on from the outset.

And Moore had a fast enough horse to go with them and sit only three wide.

Frequently, one will see O'Brien talking things through with his jockeys, either while walking the course or in the parade ring before major races. It's a thorough approach and one gets the impression that nothing is left to chance.

Before Saturday's Betfred Derby, the trainer will walk the Epsom course as usual with his team of riders, and saddle up his runners in the parade ring rather than in the boxes.

This is always fascinating to watch, and performed with almost military precision. O'Brien does much of the work himself, even with multiple runners, while two others hold the brush and a bucket of water.

How should we view the Ballydoyle domination?

I think there is more than one way to view Coolmore/Ballydoyle's domination of the middle-distance Classics.

First and foremost, it is great that they are still breeding such talented and beautiful horses for these events when so many owners and breeders are now focused on speed, precocity and a quick return.

Coolmore boss John Magnier has described the Derby, and the Epsom course, as the "ultimate challenge" and he's absolutely right.

The Downs are public land so take the opportunity to walk the course one day. It's a great experience and you will see that a Derby winner needs to have everything: speed (class), stamina, balance, professionalism. The lot.

On the other hand, domination in sport can become boring. O'Brien has won nine of the last 14 runnings of the Derby and sent out five winners of the Oaks in the last eight years.

How much can one truly celebrate yet another success? Spare a thought for newspaper reporters trying to find something new to say.

Sunday's race resulted in a display of complete domination and must have dismayed some of the French trainers.

The first three were carefully chosen as likely to be well suited by the extended mile and a quarter distance, and it's the same story on Saturday.

Whether they're good enough or not, the Ballydoyle representatives will all be expected to stay.

If you're trying to work it all out, studying the pedigrees of the runners might be best as the form is often untested.

The mile and a half at Epsom has a much slower average time than the same distance at Ascot and The Curragh. Stamina is absolutely vital and, in many a Derby, the non-stayers "hit the wall" and backpedal approaching the two-furlong marker.

One of the best Derby winners of recent years was Golden Horn and, from a little way back, he stormed down the outside under Frankie Dettori and completely out-stayed (and outclassed) his rivals.

The trouble is, solid stayers and Derby winners like Golden Horn are not so valuable, nor so sought after in the covering sheds, as was once the case. This is not the stallion-making race that it used to be, certainly compared to races over a mile and a quarter like the French Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.

As such, Constitution River is already a much more exciting breeding prospect than Saturday's favourite Benvenuto Cellini who looks a certain stayer having won over a mile and a half at Chester.

So the obvious question is: why not reduce the Derby distance?

Back in 2005, they did it in France and subsequent winners have included horses like Shamardal, Lope De Vega, New Bay and Study Of Man who have all made it as stallions.

But I think it would be terrible to abandon history and start the Derby two furlongs up the hill from its usual starting point. Of course, the race is not perfect these days for the reasons discussed but it is still a magnificent spectacle - perhaps the greatest in Flat racing - and remains that "ultimate challenge."

If you've got this far (well done), you're probably asking yourself: "Well, what does he think will win then?"

Ok, bearing in mind the importance of stamina, I will take a punt on MALTESE CROSS who has some very stout German influences in his pedigree.

He's a horse with an impressive will to win, and it's about time William Haggas won another Derby.

When Shaamit provided the trainer with a victory at a relatively early stage of his career in 1996, he could have been forgiven for thinking the game was easy.

Haggas has barely had a sniff since (though did win the Oaks with Dancing Rain in 2011) and he's too good to retire eventually with only one Derby winner to his name.

He will be hungry - ravenous - for another and one way to settle the argument about the Derby's modern-day significance is that every trainer in the country still dearly wants to win it.

More to read on the Betfred Derby

• Horse-by-horse guide and Nic Doggett verdict
• Weekend View from Andrew Asquith
• Stamina is key according to Simon Holt
• What do pedigrees say and who will stay best?
• Timeform's Derby greats down the years
• Frankel holds the key to Epsom glory
• Egypt the each-way play according to Alex Hammond
• Aidan O'Brien's unshakeable faith in Pierre Bonnard
• Final field of 14 and Derby draw details

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