2025 Epsom Derby: Looking past Coolmore and Godolphin

Having not found a price play compelling enough to take on the favorites in either the Coronation Cup (G1) or Oaks (G1) on Friday's card at Epsom, that leaves the Derby (G1) on Saturday as the sole British race I'll be focused on this weekend, and the last before my annual attack on Royal Ascot later this month.

The 1 1/2-mile Derby has attracted an unusually large field of 19, no great surprise as the prep season yielded no particular standout. Coolmore and Godolphin come equipped with the more fancied runners, of course, but distance questions surrounding their top players lead me to look elsewhere for value.

Trainer Ralph Beckett, whose Westover finished a rough-trip third in the Derby a few seasons ago, brings two sharp contenders into this year's field. The more lightly raced of the two is #11 Pride of Arras (5-1), who nonetheless looks the one to back. Despite having only two starts going into this demanding test of stamina and agility, it's difficult to dispute that Pride of Arras didn't pass the most stringent of eye tests in his two earlier outings.

More important than his maiden win at Sandown over a mile in August was the Dante (G2) at York last month, which has a reputation of being the most productive of Derby preps (five Dante winners this century have won the Derby). Squeezing his way through a seemingly narrow opening between rivals a couple of furlongs out, Pride of Arras kicked on after bulling his way into the lead and won as if the added distance would not be an issue.

For those looking for a bit more of a price, the Beckett-trained #15 Stanhope Gardens (12-1) is also worth considering. Although his preparation for the Derby was unconventional, his lone outing this season being a minor race at Salisbury (created for him) in which he beat only two rivals, the strong possibility of softening course conditions will make this more of a stamina test. And if Stanhope Gardens' narrow loss to Derby favorite Delacroix in the Autumn (G3) last fall over slow ground is any indication of his relative class and ability over such ground, he could see out the trip better than most.

With my British betting bankroll standing at $517.50 from an original starting point of $500, the play in this year's Derby is $26 to win on Pride of Arras. However, with a special transatlantic Double linking the Derby and Belmont (G1) at Saratoga later on Saturday, I'll be using both Pride of Arras and Stanhope Gardens on the first leg of that ticket.