DECLARE war on the bookies with MILITARY ORDER in the Betfred Derby (1.30) at Epsom this afternoon.
Charlie Appleby has won two of the past five runnings of the world’s greatest Flat race, courtesy of Masar (2018) and Adayar (2021).
And the Godolphin trainer has another prime candidate in Adayar’s brother Military Order.
Frankel’s son didn’t come up to market expectations when beaten at odds-on at Newmarket last October, but made amends over the Rowley Mile 18 days later.
Appleby gave Military Order his return to action in a novice stakes at Newbury in April, and William Buick’s mount trashed Exoplanet by four lengths.
Taking in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, switched from the waterlogged turf course to the all-weather, three weeks ago, my selection seized the inside line on the left-handed turn for home before extending to beat Waipiro by a decisive length and a quarter.
The bay colt’s poise will serve him well on the descent to the iconic Tattenham Corner, and his stamina for today’s test - Lingfield’s trial is run over the mile-and-a-half Derby distance - is already a matter of record.
Moreover, the performance told of a horse who has plenty in reserve for when he faces his toughest battle, and Military Order can follow his sibling - Persimmon (1896) and Diamond Jubilee (1900) were the last full brothers to lift the Derby - to Epsom glory.
Few Derby favourites can have divided punter opinion like Auguste Rodin , who attempts to give his trainer Aidan O’Brien record ninth Derby.
O’Brien’s faith in the champion two-year-old is undimmed despite a 2,000 Guineas no-show that saw the son of Deep Impact beat just two of his 14 rivals - among them, fifth-placed Dubai Mile - to the winning post.
Time and again, O’Brien has come up with feats of training the thoroughbred that beggar belief, but success for Auguste Rodin would raise the bar.
Headline writers will be willing Frankie Dettori to land his third Derby with his final mount in the race, Arrest .
His six-and-a-half-length margin from O’Brien’s Adelaide River in the Group 3 Chester Vase showed the John and Thady Gosden trainee to be a stout galloper.
But Arrest’s win came in hock-deep ground, and the prevailing faster playing surface will present a very different test.
The Foxes lasted home by a neck from White Birch in the Group 2 Dante Stakes, but Passenger , denied a clear run before dead-heating for third, has the potential to reverse the York running and make the podium, along with Leopardstown’s Group 3 Derby Trial victor Sprewell .
Outsiders Dear My Friend , King Of Steel and San Antonio look up against it, so those seeking to play at bigger odds should side with Artistic Star , yet to cast his nets in Group-race waters but unbeaten in two starts, with the promise of more to follow.
ANCIENT TIMES is fancied to give rising star Kaiya Fraser the biggest win of his going-places career by beating 19 opponents for the Aston Martin “Dash” Handicap (3.20) at Epsom.
The son of Exceed And Excel has a strike rate of 3-12 in sprint handicaps for Harry Eustace, including a victory in the big-money Scottish Sprint Cup this time last year.
Ancient Times will come on for his return-to-action fourth at Newmarket last month and Fraser’s 7lb claim - three of the jockey’s last seven mounts have won - will come in very handy.
The inaugural running of the Aston Martin 3YO “Dash” Handicap (2.45) is a good opportunity for JM JUNGLE to improve on three podium efforts in 2023.
The John Quinn trainee was mugged late on by Kuwait City in a five-furlong handicap at York’s Dante fixture, but did best of those who cut out the running and a 4lb higher mark looks within range.
Having made the perfect start for Archie Watson at Goodwood four weeks ago, ROMAN MIST has strong claims of a follow-up in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2.10).
Her Listed Conqueror Stakes score came on heavy ground on the South Downs, but Oisín Murphy’s mount has plenty of form on quicker terrain and may take some pegging back.
Soft ground almost certainly went against REGAL REALITY when an underwhelming fourth in the rescheduled Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket last time, but Sir Michael Stoute’s veteran is capable of bouncing back in the same-level Betfred Diomed Stakes (12.50).
The Betfred Lester Piggott Handicap (3.55) has a wide-open look, but PERFECT PLAY stepped forward from a reappearance second at Beverley to score in style at Chester last Saturday, and a 5lb rise may not stop the Charlie Johnston three-year-old from going in again.
A return to a mile and a half for the Rio Ferdinand Foundation Northern Dancer Handicap (4.30) will aid CAIUS CHORISTER in her bid for a third course success, while MR WAGYU gets the vote to repeat his JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.05) triumph of 12 months ago.
EPSOM
12.50 REGAL REALITY
1.30 MILITARY ORDER (NAP)
2.10 ROMAN MIST
2.45 JM JUNGLE (NB)
3.20 ANCIENT TIMES
3.55 PERFECT PLAY
4.30 CAIUS CHORISTER
5.05 MR WAGYU
HEXHAM
1.05 BUTO
1.45 BODHISATTVA
2.20 MISS LAMB
2.55 WAITARA
3.30 BALLYNAGRAN
4.05 AZOF DES MOTTES
4.40 LORD CAPRIO
MUSSELBURGH
1.15 MONAADHIL
1.50 ABDUCTION
2.30 GRAY’S INN
3.05 HEREDIA
3.40 MILTEYE
4.15 RORY
4.50 STAY SMART
WORCESTER
2.00 FOX’S SOCKS
2.35 AVIEWTOSEA
3.10 JOHNNY BLUE
3.45 PURE THEATRE
4.20 PLAYTOGETAWAY
4.55 RULER LEGEND
5.25 TIGER ORCHID
DONCASTER
2.15 WANNABE BRAVE
2.50 MISS ROBERTS
3.25 ONSLOW GARDENS
4.00 CHRONOGRAPH
4.35 SHIMMERING SANDS
5.10 SUPASPECIALAWESOME
5.40 CLOSE QUARTERS
LISTOWEL
2.25 PARISH RECORD
3.00 KARAOKE
3.35 ROCK ETOILE
4.10 PERFECT POISE
4.45 GREY LEADER
5.15 ALFARIDA
5.50 FERNAO
TRAMORE
5.30 HEIA
6.00 RULE OF JUNE
6.30 THE FOLKES TIARA
7.00 HUIT REFLETS
7.30 BOSKILL BORDEN
8.00 NATURAL LOOK
8.30 VADSA QUEEN
STRATFORD
5.45 KOMEDY KICKS
6.15 PAWPAW
6.50 PRESENTING YEATS
7.20 SWAFFHAM BULBECK
7.50 ASTROMAN
8.20 CAPTAIN TOMMY
8.55 PAK ARMY
LINGFIELD PARK
5.35 NIVELLE’S MAGIC
6.10 CITIZEN GENERAL
6.40 THANKSBUTNOTHANKS
7.10 GONE
7.40 CITY OF YORK
8.10 ALL DUNN
8.45 MICHAELS CHOICE
DOUBLE: MILITARY ORDER and JM JUNGLE
SUNDAY
NOTTINGHAM
2.15 JASOUR
2.45 ONE NIGHT THUNDER
3.15 CLIPSHAM GOLD
3.45 POINT LYNAS (NB)
4.15 WAR CHANT
4.45 REACH
5.15 ENCHANTED NIGHT
FAKENHAM
2.30 KIM EYRE
3.00 ENTHUSED
3.30 CLOUDY WEDNESDAY
4.00 BOOK OF SECRETS
4.30 QUOI DE NEUF
5.00 LIPA K (NAP)
5.30 BOLEYN BOY
CHANTILLY
3.15 AMERICAN FLAG
DOUBLE: LIPA K and POINT LYNAS
