The Epsom Derby 2022 Betting Guide

The Epsom Derby 2022 Race Information

The Epsom Derby will be under starters orders at 16:30 GMT on the 4 June 2022. During the two-day festival there will be several top-class races leading up to the main feature event, the Derby (British Champion Series). The most famous and prestigious horse race in the flat racing season also known as the ‘blue riband’ of the turf, only Royal Ascot comes anywhere near in terms of recognition and prize money. In the history of the event many famous horses, jockeys, trainers and owners have triumphed and that is set to continue in 2022.

What is intriguing about the Derby is that no horse will be able to return the following year or thereafter and regain the title for a second time. There is only one chance for the horse to win as it needs to be a three-year-old flat, thoroughbred of group one standard. This year, 91 of the best three-year-old colts and fillies have been entered and only 20 of these will be selected to run the actual race and have the chance of winning a slice of the £1.5 million prize money up for grabs.

The group one race is a huge challenge over the one mile, four furlongs and six yards. The first seven furlongs see a sharp incline of 184 ft (56m) while positioning and the jockey’s management of the horse is of vital importance during the race. With this in mind let us glance through the chances of some of the anticipated runners and riders that are likely to take part in this year’s Epsom Derby.

Potential Featured Runners at the Epsom Derby 2022

Luxembourg

This bay colt has already raised a few eyebrows and will be well fancied having several interesting credentials. The horse has the record-breaking Epsom Derby trainer Aiden O’Brien who is an eight-time winner. Luxembourg was sired by Camelot, a horse that has won the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby and 2000 Guineas in 2012. Having not run in 2022, Luxembourg won his last three races in 2021 winning the group one Vertem Futurity Trophy by one-and-three-quarter lengths at Doncaster last October.

Point Lonsdale

Another colt trained by Aiden O’Brien that has plenty of pace, is brave and travels well. Point Lonsdale may have a point to prove against his stablemate Luxembourg as they look likely to race against each other 30 April in the 2000 Guineas. Point Lonsdale won four out of his five races between June and September last year. In June 2021 in the 7-furlong Chesham Stakes at Ascot, Point Lonsdale pipped Reach For The Moon by half a length. His only loss came on 12 September 2021 in the group one Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes where Native Trail won comfortably over a race distance of seven-furlongs.

Reach For The Moon

Trained by John and Thady Godsen, Her Majesty the Queen has three entries for this year’s Epsom Derby, one of which is Reach For The Moon. Being the year of the Queens Platinum Jubilee can Her Majesty finally be a winner of the Epsom Derby? Having won all the other British Classics can the Platinum Jubilee year and Reach For The Moon bring her that little extra luck. Raced over seven furlongs in five races in 2021, Reach For The Moon had two wins and finished second on three occasions, one of which a close finish with Point Lonsdale. The last win came 21 August 2021 with a four-length gap over Great Max in the Solario Stakes at Sandown with the going good and good to firm in places.

Goldspur

An Irish colt trained by Charlie Appleby, Goldspur has shown promise in distances over one mile in 2021 winning the group three Godolphin Flying Start Zetland Stakes and beating Hatif who finished third on good ground. There was a win over soft ground at Sandown Park in the Time Test EBF Novice Stakes. However, a third-place finish could only be mustered in Saint-Cloud, France over very soft ground where El Bodegon won the race and Stone Age finished second.

Native Trail

Native Trail is another colt trained by Charlie Appleby. Currently unbeaten over seven furlongs when entered in four races between June and October 2021. A convincing win by three-and-three-quarter furlongs over second placed Point Lonsdale was recorded in September 2021. The unbeaten run has so far been joined in the saddle by jockey William Buick and for sure this partnership will want to be continued.

El Bodegon

El Bodegon is an Irish bred colt and a British trained horse. James Ferguson is the trainer and together they have a five-race history in 2021 with three wins and one second and third place. What is noticeable that two of the three wins came in France with distances over one mile in what were the only races exceeding this distance. The race in Saint-Cloud 23 October was one mile and two furlongs where El Bodegon beat Stone Age by one and a half lengths who was followed in third by Goldspur on very soft ground. The win in September in Chantilly over one mile was on soft ground, so there may be a preference.

Coroebus

2021 saw two wins and one second place with William Buick jockeying the horse. All of the three races were exactly one mile on good or good to firm ground at Newmarket. It was on good to firm where Coroebus finished second to Royal Patronage by only a neck. Can the different venue and potential of massive crowd get Coroebus in the mood and maintain the good form of 2021.

Royal Patronage

A French horse trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston, Royal Patronage has a record in 2021 of three wins, a second throughout the six-race career. It is noted that the two no placings have come over soft ground, whereas, the top two finishes have been on good to soft or good to firm. Last year, Royal Patronage beat Coroebus by a neck at Sandown, won by five lengths at Epsom over seven furlongs and was second to Native Trail by four lengths at Sandown.

We hope you have found our guide to betting at the Epsom Derby both informative and interesting. At this time most of the horses who will run at the Epsom Derby have not raced this calendar year. There will be other opportunities to study their form in the lead up to the Epsom Derby but we believe that we have covered the horses that will be challenging for the title.