Donn McClean

IT’s some Derby this year, the most open in years.

You can make a case for lots of them. Cliffs Of Moher is short, he is probably going to have to step forward significantly from his Dee Stakes win, but he probably will.

Cracksman is short, he is going to have to be better than he was in the Epsom Derby Trial, but he probably will be. Eminent was only sixth in the Guineas, but he will probably be better over a trip that is in excess of a mile. Whether or not he will be at his best over a mile and a half remains to be seen.

Permian won the Dante and Best Solution won the Lingfield Derby Trial, both looked good in winning those trials, but they have run 10 times and nine times respectively. Derby winners typically don’t run that often before they become Derby winners.

You can also make a case for Rekindling. Winner of his maiden over a mile last season for David Wachman on his second attempt, he looked very good in winning the Ballysax Stakes on his debut this season, his first run for Joseph O’Brien. He travelled well into the home straight, and he showed a fine turn of foot when he got his gap on the far side to hit the front inside the final furlong, before keeping on well to get home by a half a length from Douglas Macarthur.

The form of the Ballysax worked out really well subsequently, with the second, third and fourth finishing first, second and third in the same order in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.

Rekindling eschewed the Derrinstown in favour of the Dante, and it was disappointing on the face of it that he could only finish fourth that day behind Permian. The race didn’t really work out for him that day though. It seemed to get away from him a little about three furlongs out, before he stayed on well to take fourth place.

STEP UP APPRECIATED

He is bred to appreciate the step up to a mile and a half today. By High Chaparral, he is a half-brother to Midas Touch, who finished second in a St Leger. He will need to be better than he was in the Dante, but he should come on for that run, his first since the Ballysax, his first for six weeks, and he should come on also for the step up to a mile and a half.

Harzand won the Ballysax Stakes last year and skipped the Derrinstown before going on to win the Derby, and the Ballysax also produced Sinndar, High Chaparral and Galileo in the early years of this millennium. There is precedent and, in a wide open race, the 25/1 that is available about Rekindling is fair.

The Dash is obviously a different type of contest to the Derby. It lives up to its name, it is the fastest five furlongs in the world.

Desert Law won the race in 2015, and he could win it again today. A proven ability to act on this idiosyncratic sprint track is an obvious asset to carry into the race.

Paul Midgley’s horse has won just once since then, a conditions race at Nottingham two months later, and he didn’t win at all in 12 attempts last year, but he has come down the ratings as a result. He started this season on a mark of 86, 22lb lower than his peak and 3lb lower than the mark off which he won this race two years ago.

IMPRESSIVE WIN

He won on his debut this season and, while that didn’t do his handicap rating any good, it did show that he had rediscovered his ability. He was impressive in winning that conditions race at Musselburgh though, and the handicapper was not overly harsh in raising him by 8lb to a mark of 94. He won easily, and the horses who finished behind him were rated, respectively, 96, 100, 93, 109, 82 and 95.

He hasn’t run since then, but that is probably a positive – it probably means that his trainer put him away for this race, happy with his handicap rating, in the knowledge that he goes well at the track. As well as winning the Dash in 2015, he ran at Epsom on just one other occasion, when he finished second in the Dash in 2012 off a mark of 97.

You would have ideally preferred a higher draw, the closer you can get to the stands rail the better, but it could have been worse than nine. His main market rivals, with the exception of Kimberella, are not drawn much better, and it is possible to win this race from a lowish draw. Stone Of Folca won it from stall two in 2012, and Desert Law himself won it from stall one two years ago.

Duke Of Firenze is an obvious danger, and Kimberella has to be feared from stall 20, while Desert Law’s stable companions Line Of Reason and Olivia Fallow are players from high draws. However, Desert Law is potentially really well-handicapped and, back at a track at which he acts well, as long as he has normal luck in-running, he could run a big race.

RECOMMENDED

REKINDLING 25/1 (generally) 1 point win

DESERT LAW 9/1 (generally) 1 point each-way