Racing returns to Epsom Downs next Wednesday with the Investec Spring Meeting and taking centre stage on the fascinating six-race card is the boosted Investec Derby Trial which has attracted a great entry of 24 horses.
The 10-furlong contest for three-year-olds offers the only remaining opportunity for aspirants for the premier British Classic, the Investec Derby which is over two furlongs further on June 4, to race at Epsom Downs beforehand.
As an added bonus, the winner of the Investec Derby Trial gains a "Wild Card" entry for the Group One Investec Derby (if not already entered or a gelding), Britain's richest race which is worth at least £1,325,000.
A change to the race conditions this year for the Investec Derby Trial has resulted in the abolition of cumulative penalties, meaning that the maximum penalty is now only six pounds.
This has resulted in an entry very strong both in quality and quantity, including a trio from Ireland's champion Flat trainer Aidan O'Brien - Group Three Tyros Stakes and Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes runner-up Deauville (33/1 for the Investec Derby with Coral, official betting partner)plus maiden winners Unicorn (40/1) and Claudio Monteverdi.
An exciting entry is Midterm (Sir Michael Stoute), who is currently the 12/1 second favourite for the Investec Derby with Coral. The Khalid Abdullah-owned Galileo colt, who is out of six-time Group One winner and 2009 Investec Oaks runner-up Midday, was the impressive winner of a Newbury maiden on his only juvenile appearance last year.
Similarly, both Top Beak (Hughie Morrison) and Godolphin's Prize Money (Saeed bin Suroor, 25/1) were successful on their only start in 2015.
Harrison (Mick Channon, 66/1) was among nine second entries for the Investec Derby last week and could have his first taste of Epsom Downs. The son of Sixties Icon proved himself on an undulating track when taking a nine-furlong maiden in good style at Goodwood in October.
Channon said: "Harrison is ready to go and could have gone to Newbury this weekend, but I don't see the point of running him in bottomless ground.
"He is in the Investec Derby Trial at Epsom Downs and he will also have an entry at Sandown Park. He will go to one of them and I just hope we get some decent ground.
"We are very pleased with the horse. Everything has been going great and his work has been first class.
"We think he is very nice and he is definitely the best I have had since Youmzain. How good we are, I don't know, and I just want to find out now."
Entries already on the scoresheet during 2016 include Ventura Storm (Richard Hannon), who was successful in the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket's Craven Meeting this week but is not in the Investec Derby, plus Dwight D (William Haggas), Gambit (Tom Dascombe) and High Grounds (Charlie Hills, 40/1) who have all won maidens on the All-Weather.
One filly has been entered in So Mi Dar (John Gosden). The daughter of Dubawi, a Lord and Lady Lloyd-Webber homebred, is out of three-time Group One winner Da Re Mi.
She was triumphant on her only start at Windsor last season and holds an entry in the Investec Oaks, for which she is a 20/1 chance with Coral.
