A big field of 19 runners will contest today's 2025 Derby at Epsom - when does the race start and who leads the betting?
The betting market for the 2025 Derby at Epsom is marginally headed by Delacroix (best price 4/1), the chosen ride for Ryan Moore.
Unsurprisingly, given his association with the Aidan O’Brien stable (10 victories and seven since 2012), Moore is the leading jockey in recent years. He has won the race four times since 2010 including the previous two renewals.
William Buick, who will be riding the well fancied Ruling Court (now out to 6/1), won the race aboard Masar in 2018 for Charlie Appleby - the winning trainer again three years later with Adayar.
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The Derby is arguably the most prestigious of the five British Classics and is often referred to by flat trainers and jockeys as the race that they most want to win. Here are some key betting trends for the race.
- 21 of the previous 23 winners had raced no more than five times before
- 19 of the previous 23 winners had previously won a group race
- 19 of the previous 23 winners had finished 1st or 2nd last time out
- 15 of the previous 23 winners had run over at least 1m2f before
- Nine of the previous 23 winners were trained by Aidan O’Brien
What time is the Derby 2025?
The Derby is scheduled to start at 15:30 from on Day 2 of the Epsom Derby meeting. 19 runners have been declared for the race - you can find out more about each of them below from Steve Ryder or via our complete runners guide featuring silks, form, weights and confirmed jockeys per runner.
- Al Wasl Storm (David Probert)
- Damysus (James Doyle)
- Delacroix (Ryan Moore)
- Green Storm (Billy Loughnane)
- Lambourn (Wayne Lordan)
- Lazy Griff (Christophe Soumillon)
- Midak (Mickael Barzalona)
- New Ground (Alexis Pouchin)
- Nightime Dancer (Jamie Spencer)
- Nightwalker (Tom Marquand)
- Pride Of Arras (Rossa Ryan)
- Rogue Impact (Luke Morris)
- Ruling Court (William Buick)
- Sea Scout (Harry Davies)
- Stanhope Gardens (Hector Crouch)
- Tennessee Stud (Dylan Browne McMonagle)
- The Lion In Winter (Colin Keane)
- Tornado Alert (Oisin Murphy)
- Tuscan Hills (David Egan)
Al Wasl Storm
Owner Ahmad Al Shaikh has a good record with outsiders in the Derby with Khalifa Sat finishing 2nd at 50/1 in 2020, Hoo Ya Mal finishing 2nd at 150/1 in 2022 and both Deira Mile (fourth at 25/1) and Sayedaty Sadaty (fifth at 50/1) running well in the race last year.
Al Wasl Storm was purchased for only €7,000 as a from a National Hunt foal sale but is entitled to take his chance in this race having won a Chester maiden a month ago. With an official rating of only 86, he looks up against it but the same could have been said for his previous runners in the race.
Damysus
You won’t miss the John & Thady Gosden trained colt in the parade ring with his distinctive white patches and he may have something to say approaching the finish to this race. The Frankel colt was one of many from the yard that won a novice race at the end of last year before looking in need of the run at Sandown in the Group 3 Classic Trial on his reappearance.
Damysus was sent off a relatively unfancied 16/1 chance for the Dante Stakes at York on his next start where he finished runner-up behind Pride Of Arras. Beaten only 1 ¼ lengths that day, the only concern was that he hung slightly left-handed under pressure and that will be further accentuated down the camber at Epsom.
Delacroix
Has recently usurped stablemate The Lion In Winter to be favourite for this race off the back of two victories at Leopardstown this season. Yet to finish out of the top two in his career, he ended last season beating Stanhope Gardens at Newmarket over a mile before finishing a nose 2nd behind Hotazhell in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Delacroix beat stablemate Lambourn by 2 ¼ lengths in the Ballysax Stakes on his reappearance before winning the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown over 1m2f last time by 2 ¾ lengths despite unseating Wayne Lordan on the way to post.
Being by Dubawi (whose offspring are 0-9 in the race with Benbatl finishing best at 5th in 2017) out of the top class miler Tepin, he would still have question marks about the trip if you are thinking of taking a short price around him but he is the choice of Ryan Moore.
Green Storm
Owner Ahmad Al Shaikh has a good record with outsiders in the Derby with Khalifa Sat finishing 2nd at 50/1 in 2020, Hoo Ya Mal finishing 2nd at 150/1 in 2022 and both Deira Mile (fourth at 25/1) and Sayedaty Sadaty (fifth at 50/1) running well in the race last year.
Green Storm has only won one of his seven career starts but did end last season finishing a close 2nd in a Group 1 in France behind Tennessee Stud. Beaten 10½ lengths in the listed Feilden Stakes on his reappearance, he looks flattered by his rating of 107.
Lambourn
Won his first two career starts before resenting blinkers in a Group 2 at the end of last season. He finished 2nd behind Delacroix in a Group 3 at Leopardstown before relishing the step up in trip to 1m4½f at Chester when winning the Chester Vase in good style.
Whether the St Leger at Doncaster will be a more logical target at the end of last season, he is entitled to take his chance in this race but would want a strong pace to be seen at his best. He will be ridden by Wayne Lordan who won on him on his debut and has been allocated the most successful draw in Stall 10.
Lazy Griff
Won twice as a juvenile including a Group 3 at Chantilly on his final start last season. Outran odds of 25/1 to finish 2nd beaten only 1 ½ lengths by Lambourn in the Chester Vase on his reappearance when that rival had the benefit of a recent run. He is rated 105 and is likely to be one of the pace angles in this race under Christophe Soumillon.
Midak
Supplemented at a cost of £75,000 for Aga Khan Studs who this race is being run in honour of. He was unraced as a juvenile but has won all three of his starts so far this season. An impressive 2 ½ length winner of the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe last time, that is a race that 2011 Derby winner Pour Moi won prior to success in this race.
New Ground
Another to be supplemented at a cost of £75,000. The Juddmonte owned colt won his two starts as juvenile last season before finishing 3rd on both of his starts so far this season. Beaten a length when 3rd in a listed race at Chantilly on his latest start, connections will be reliant on him showing improved form over a longer trip in this race.
Nightime Dancer
Won a Southwell novice race over 1m4f on his reappearance before finishing 3rd beaten 3 ½ lengths in the Lingfield Derby trial on his latest start. Adayar was beaten in that race prior to Epsom glory in 2021 but his task looks a lot more difficult this year. He will be ridden by Jamie Spencer for the first time.
Nightwalker
A smart juvenile last season when trained by Sir Michael Stoute, he has run with credit on both of his starts this season. The son of Frankel finished 3rd in the listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on his reappearance before finishing 5th beaten only 3 ½ lengths by Pride Of Arras in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
Nightwalker galloped at the track with stablemate Damysus in the build up to this race and will be suited by this step up in trip to 1m4f based on his running style. He will be ridden by Tom Marquand for the first time.
Pride Of Arras
Overcame inexperience to make a winning debut at Sandown last season when staying on strongly over the mile to trip to win by 3 ¼ lengths. He looked slightly unbalanced that day before hitting the rising ground which would be a slight question mark about Epsom but he comes into the race off the back of an impressive victory in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York.
Pride Of Arras defied odds of 18/1 to win that day despite having to wait for room when making his challenge. He still showed his inexperience when hitting the front but given the way Ralph Beckett trained horses were progressing from their first run at that time, an even better effort is expected in this race.
Rogue Impact
The chosen representative for James Owen who took out both Rogue Millions and Wimbledon Hawkeye at this latest stage. He beat Al Wasl Storm in a 1m4f Lingfield maiden on his reappearance (and stable debut) before finishing last of six when sent off 22/1 for the Lingfield Derby trial last time. His rating of 86 would suggest that he will struggle to get involved.
Ruling Court
Cost 2.3 million euros as a breeze-up purchase prior to making an impressive winning debut at Sandown last season. A beaten favourite when only 3rd in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York behind The Lion In Winter and Wimbledon Hawkeye on his final start last season, he returned with a comfortable success in Meydan in a listed race.
Sent off 9/2 for the 2000 Guineas, Ruling Court beat subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas Field Of Gold by ½ length at the finish staying on well at the finish. Being by last year’s winning sire Justify and being out of a High Chaparral mare, he has a good chance of staying the Derby trip if relaxing in the early stages of his race.
Sea Scout
Won on his final start as a juvenile at Lingfield on the AW before defying odds of 40/1 to win on his reappearance in the listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on his reappearance making him the only course winner in the field. He was beaten five lengths in 8th behind Pride Of Arras in the Group 2 Dante Stakes last time when weakening at the finish raising doubts about his stamina for this 1m4f trip.
Stanhope Gardens
Finished 3rd behind Ruling Court on his debut before justifying favouritism in a Beverley maiden on his next start. He was only beaten a neck by Delacroix in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket on his final start last season before taking an unorthodox route to this race via a 1 mile three-runner conditions race at Salisbury last time.
Whether this step up in trip to 1m4f will suit him is a question mark (it should suit him based on breeding) but he would have a chance in this race based on his form with Delacroix last season.
Tennessee Stud
A runner-up behind Hotazhell in a Group 2 last season, he took advantage of a weak Group 1 in France to beat Green Storm by 1 ½ lengths over 1m2f last season. Beaten 6 ¾ lengths by Delacroix in the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown last time, he should improve for this step up in trip to 1m4f based on his running style.
The Lion in Winter
Aidan O’Brien has won the previous two renewals of this race with Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy who bounced back from disappointing efforts on their return and backers of The Lion In Winter will be trusting the master trainer to repeat the same trick. Saying that, none his previous 27 Dante runners went on to Epsom glory with none of the latest five even attempting to do so.
The Lion In Winter won his two starts as a juvenile including a victory over Wimbledon Hawkeye and Ruling Court in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York last season and his trainer did warn that he would step forward from his reappearance run, prior that sixth placed effort.
He has been the subject to two differing market moves in the lead up to this race and it is worth noting that he did miss a couple of engagements at the end of last season with issues. He will be ridden by Colin Keane for the first time from the widest draw in Stall 19.
Tornado Alert
Like with Elwateen in the Oaks the day before, Saeed Bin Suroor has an interesting outsider in the race. Tornado Alert stepped forward from a 3rd placed finish on debut to win at Newcastle maiden in October on his final start as a juvenile.
Sent off an unfancied 50/1 shot for the 2000 Guineas, he ran well to finish 4th beaten only 4 ½ lengths by Ruling Court. He was keen in the early stages of that mile contest and he would need to settle under Oisin Murphy if being able to show improved form over this 1m4f trip.
Tuscan Hills
Won his first two starts last season including when an impressive 4 ¾ length winner of a listed race at Pontefract in October. Sent off 22/1 for the Dante Stakes at York, he ran well to finish 7th beaten 4 ¼ lengths for an owner who had both Mojo Star (2nd at 50/1 in 2021) and King Of Steel (2nd at 66/1 in 2023) place at big prices.
Derby Betting Tips
The Lion In Winter, Delacroix and Ruling Court continue to contest both favouritism for the Derby and the support of the oddschecker community. Since declarations were made for the race, The Lion In Winter (now the fourth favourite to win the race) has taken a high 13.4% of the bets, while market leader Delacroix has 13.1% and Ruling Court accounts for a 12.9% share.
