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The Lion In Winter drawn widest of all at Epsom

3 minute read

The Lion In Winter will break from stall 19 of 19.

THE LION IN WINTER.
THE LION IN WINTER. Picture: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

The former ante-post market leader The Lion In Winter has been shunned by Ryan Moore, who will be ride Delacroix instead, as he has been handed stall 19 of 19 in Saturday's Epsom Derby.

Unbeaten at two, The Lion In Winter returned from a lengthy absence with a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Dante Stakes at York last month under Ryan Moore. With Moore opting to ride this year's Leopardstown trial winner Delacroix, this season's Irish 2000 Guineas-winning rider Colin Keane has been tasked with steering The Lion In Winter from gate 19.

Aidan O'Brien's Delacroix was drawn in stall fourteen, while Charlie Appleby's 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court will start from gate seven as he attempts to take the step up to a mile and a half in his stride under William Buick. O'Brien's third-string contender, Lambourn, will be ridden by Wayne Lordan from stall ten.

The Ralph Beckett-trained Dante Stakes winner Pride Of Arras was also posted wide in stall sixteen, while his stablemate, Stanhope Gardens, will start in two.

Out of the French-trained contenders, the Aga Khan Studs' Midak has fared better than New Ground, with the former set to begin from gate four and the latter out wide in 17.

Following the draw, which was undertaken by previous Derby-winning jockeys Willie Carson and Martin Dwyer at the Picturehouse Cinema in Epsom town centre, Ruling Court was well-supported in the market to force joint favouritism with Delacroix (3/1), while The Lion In Winter has been easy to back following being drawn widest of all.

Betfred Spokesman Matt Hulmes said "We anticipated some movement post draw with a big field of 19 going to post and we now go 3-1 the field with joint favourites for the Betfred Derby.

"We have eased Delacroix from 5-2 and clipped Triple Crown-chasing Ruling Court from 7-2 to make them 3-1 the pair after drawing 14 and 7 respectively.

"The Lion In Winter in 19 could be problematic if he refuses to settle and has been eased to 11-2 subsequently.

"Dante winner Pride Of Arras remains 5-1 with stall 16 and the only other runner at a single figure price, as we go 12-1 bar the four.

"At bigger prices, Tennessee Stud is 33-1 from 50-1 after landing stall 12 with Tornado Alert on his inside in 11 clipped to 33-1 also from 40s.

"In terms of the Betfred Oaks, Desert Flower remains the strong 5-4 favourite after all nine fillies were declared this morning."


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