Investec Derby hotting up nicely!

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, his son Joseph and Magician after their Irish 2000 Guineas triumph. Can they team up to win the Investec Derby just seven days later? Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

The 234th running of the Investec Derby has 15 contenders going forward after yesterday’s £75,000 supplementary entry and five-day confirmation stages.

Chopin, owned by Qatar Racing, a subsidiary of British Champions Series sponsor QIPCO Holding, was supplemented and the Andreas Wohler-trained three-year-old colt will become the first German runner in the world’s most famous Flat race.

The winner of Britain’s richest race of the year (£1,379,500) will emerge shortly after 4pm on Saturday, before a huge crowd at Epsom Downs racecourse.

Unbeaten Dawn Approach, running in the Godolphin colours, is the strong favourite at 10/11 with Coral for the 2013 Investec Derby, but there are plenty of likely challengers.

The most interesting is Magician, the impressive winner of the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas over a mile last Saturday at the Curragh.

Two winners of the Irish 2000 Guineas, founded in 1921, have gone on to win the Derby – Grundy in 1975 and Santa Claus in 1964.

The most recent attempt to capture both Classics came in 2005 when Dubawi, owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, finished third to Motivator at Epsom Downs.

Can O’Brien cast a spell on the rest of the field with the top class colt just seven days after his Curragh triumph?

As well as Magician, O’Brien has five more colts in the Investec Derby, which he has won three times – with Camelot last year, High Chaparral (2002) and Galileo (2001).

They are Battle Of Marengo, winner of his last five races, Festive Cheer, Flying The Flag, QIPCO 2000 Guineas sixth Mars and the unbeaten Ruler Of The World.

Andre Fabre sent out Pour Moi to win the Investec Derby two years ago and France’s 24-time champion trainer is hoping Ocovango, successful on all three of his starts, can emulate that victory.

Betfred Dante Stakes winner Libertarian, who would be the first Derby winner trained in the North of England since Dante himself in 1945 if successful, is the main British-trained hope. He is trained by Elaine Burke at Middleham in Yorkshire.

Jim Bolger, trainer of Dawn Approach who was the impressive winner of the first British colts’ Classic, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, has also left Trading Leather – third to Magician on Saturday – in the Investec Derby.

Bolger said yesterday: "Trading Leather has been left in the Investec Derby as a precaution. If anything were to happen to Dawn Approach, I would run Trading Leather.

"Dawn Approach is continuing to please me and I am looking forward to running him in the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on Saturday.

"I thought Magician’s performance on Saturday was very smart."

The two other potential Irish challengers are the David Wachman-trained Galileo Rock and the Andy Oliver-trained First Cornerstone.

Mirsaale is the only course winner among the Investec Derby hopefuls, with the James Tate-trained colt winning the Investec Derby Trial over 10 furlongs on April 24.

Ocean Applause is the big outsider of the likely Investec Derby field at odds of 500-1 after three unplaced efforts this year for trainer John Ryan.

The final field will be declared on Thursday morning.