Dubai: Four horses with Dubai interests will bid to win the £1.4 million (Dh7.83 million) Investec Derby (G1), Britain’s richest and most famous horse race, which takes place at Epsom Downs this weekend.
Zawraq, Jack Hobbs, Storm The Stars and Best Of Times all figure among an elite field of 15 runners, including two supplementary entries, Golden Horn and Success Days, who will face their destiny on Saturday at 7.30pm UAE time.
The unbeaten Zawraq, 9/2 second favourite behind Golden Horn (7/4), represents two-time Derby-winning owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, while 5/1 chance Jack Hobbs will seek to become only the second Godolphin-trained winner of the challenging 2,400 metre contest after Lammtarra in 1995.
Godolphin are also represented by 50/1 shot Best Of Times, the winner of three of his four starts, including the Listed Newmarket Stakes.
Storm The Stars, who impressed immensely when landing the Cocked Hat Stakes (formerly the Predominate Stakes), is Shaikh Juma Dalmouk Al Maktoum’s first Derby runner.
Trained by 1996-Derby winning handler William Haggas, Storm The Stars could emulate his sire, the brilliant Sea The Stars, who won the Epsom showpiece in 2009.
History is also on his side as a total of 42 Derby winners have been sired by previous winners, the most recent being 2008 scorer New Approach, who was the son of 2001 victor Galileo.
Storm The Stars can also claim another slice of history should he win, as only Troy in 1979 graduated from winning the Cocked Hat Stakes to Derby glory.
The 15-runner field, one less than the number that contested the race 12 months ago, include six Irish-trained horses and one each from France (Epicuris 20/1) and Germany (Rogue Runner 50/1).
Group 2 Dante Stakes scorer Golden Horn and Success Days (16/1), the winner of Ireland’s two leading Derby trials — the Ballysax Stakes (G3) and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (G3) — have been supplemented at a cost of £75,000.
The notable absentee is dual 2,000 Guineas sensation Gleneagles, who five-time Derby-winning handler Aidan O’Brien has opted to leave out.
O’Brien, who is looking to extend his dominance over the English blue riband having saddled the last three winners — Australia, Ruler Of The World and Camelot — is represented by Chester Vase (G3) victor Hans Holbein (12/1), Group 3 runner-up Giovanni Canaletto (16/1) and Kilimanjaro (20/1), who landed the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial in early May.