Benvenuto Cellini heads a field of 14 for trainer Aidan O'Brien in the Epsom Derby (G1) June 6 at Epsom Downs Racecourse, with the Ballydoyle handler responsible for four of the entries as he bids to land a 12th victory in the classic.
The 2-1 favorite impressed when winning the Chester Vase by 4 1/4 lengths, the same race Lambourn won before scoring at Epsom last year, and will come from stall 12 with Ryan Moore taking the ride.
Juddmonte has the second favorite in the form of unbeaten Dante Stakes (G2) winner Item (stall 3), whose trainer Andrew Balding won the Italian Derby (G2) June 2 with Venetian Prince.
O'Brien's three other contenders are led by 5-1 shot Pierre Bonnard, who will be reunited with top jockey Christophe Soumillon, who rode the colt to a group 1 victory in France as a juvenile last year. Action (the ride of Wayne Lordan) and Christmas Day (Ronan Whelan) are the two other Ballydoyle representatives.
Pierre Bonnard was the favorite for the Derby over the winter, but his reputation was dented by suffering defeats in two Derby trials this season, including by the reopposing James J Braddock most recently at Leopardstown. Nevertheless, his odds have contracted from 20-1 in recent weeks with his Leopardstown conqueror at 10-1.
Another leading contender to emerge from trial season was Maltese Cross for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. His odds were pushed out to 10-1 (from 8-1) after being drawn in stall 1, but he is unbeaten in two starts this season and claimed the Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes by a neck from Bay of Brilliance (stall 9), who reopposes for Ralph Beckett.
Amo Racing fields two runners, headed by the Charlie Johnston-trained Ancient Egypt (stall 10), who enhanced his Derby credentials when winning the Newmarket Stakes by 2 lengths at odds of 16-1 and has been drawn in a stall which has produced the most winners of the Derby since starting stalls were introduced.
The operation also saddles £4.3 million purchase Poker (stall 4), who will need to step forward significantly for this test.
Among the outsiders, Balzac (stall 2) arrives after finishing third in both the Blue Riband Trial and Lingfield Derby Trial stakes for Jane Chapple-Hyam in a stall which has yet to produce a Derby winner, while Faye Bramley-trained Rebel Rocker (stall 14), who was runner-up to Saxon Street in the Blue Riband, also takes his chance.
Andrew Balding also saddles outsider A Taste of Glory (stall 7) for owner Ahmad Al Shaikh after the colt finished last in the Lingfield Derby Trial on his latest start, while Pat Dobbs takes the ride on Alderman (stall 6) for trainer Richard Hannon.
