Twelve top trivia tips for the Investec Derby

US Army Ranger, above, or Ulysses could make a small piece of Derby history. Picture courtesy of Racingfotos.com

ALPHABET SOUP

US Army Ranger or Ulysses would make history if successful because no horse whose name has begun with a U has won in the race’s 236-year history. No X or Z runners have won, either, and that sequence is going to roll on.

TEN OUT OF TEN

Can’t be bothered to study the form? Just back whoever is drawn in stall ten. Had you adopted that policy since 1986 you would have cheered home Shahrastani (11-2), Reference Point (6-4), Nashwan (5-4), Quest For Fame (7-1), Generous (9-1), Galileo (11-4), Sir Percy (6-1) and Ruler Of The World (7-1). In 2012 there were only nine runners, so a level £10 stake on all stall ten runners in the past 30 years would have reaped a profit of about £130. And last year you would have got your cash back had you supported Jack Hobbs (second) each-way.

THE FAB FOUR

Not The Beatles but the quartet who, since the post-war era, have won the Derby after being unraced as two-year-olds. US Army Ranger and Wings Of Desire, who did not run as juveniles, will attempt to follow the example of Phil Drake (1955), Morston (1973), Commander In Chief (1993) and Ruler Of The World (2013).

BLINKERED VIEW

No Derby winner has worn blinkers since Aboyeur in 1913 – and he was only awarded the spoils when the stewards disqualified Craganour for “bumping and boring”. Aidan O’Brien has indicated Port Douglas will wear the headgear in this year’s running.

RUNNING IN THE FAMILY

Forty-four winners have been sired by Derby winners. There is a good chance of that increasing this year because Galileo, Sea The Stars and New Approach all look like being represented.

UNBEATABLE

Nine Derby winners retired unbeaten – the last being Lammtarra (four races) in 1995. The only horse with an unblemished record in this year’s field is US Army Ranger.

ELUSIVE DOUBLE

Galileo might be the Daddy of all sires but he has yet to father the winner of the Oaks and Derby in the same year. He has multiple chances of putting that straight this year. The last sire to pull off the double was Sadler’s Wells in 2001 via Imagine in the Oaks and, yes, you’ve guessed it, Galileo in the Derby.

GREY DAY?

Algometer would be an exceptionally rare grey winner. Only four of that colour have triumphed – the last being Airborne in 1946. The others have consisted of 173 bay or brown; 58 chestnut and two black.

YARDS APART

When someone tells you ‘they have to stay every yard of the mile and a half trip” you can smugly answer “plus the extra ten yards”. That is the quirky distance of the Derby – a mile and a half, and ten yards. The extra distance made a huge difference in 2006 when Sir Percy got up in the final stride to prevail by a short head after a photo-finish involving four runners.

MING NOT SO MIGHTY

The bookmakers are going 4-1 the field this year, reflecting the open nature of the race. However, it is nowhere near so unpredictable as in 1951 when Ki Ming was sent off the 9-1 favourite. He finished twelfth in a field of 33. The safety limit these days is 20.

STOP THE CLOCK

Workforce is the fastest Derby winner of all time. He scorched home in 2min 31.33sec in 2010, in the process giving Sir Michael Stoute a fifth winner of the race. Aidan O’Brien has since caught him up.

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT

A record four horses were supplemented (£75,000 each) on Monday, taking the overall tally to 22 since 1998. Kris Kin (2003) and Golden Horn (2015) both won after being added, with three others more than getting the money of their owners back by finishing third. In 2008 the Paul Cole-trained River Proud was found to be lame the day before the race and did not run, having been supplemented four days before. The full record of horses supplemented for the Derby is:

2015 GOLDEN HORN – WON at 13-8 fav

2015 Success Day, 12th at 12-1

2014 Romsdal, 3rd at 20-1

2013 Chopin, 7th at 12-1

2010 Rewilding, 3rd at 9-2

2010 Buzzword, 8th at 40-1

2008 Casual Conquest, 3rd at 7-2 fav

2008 Doctor Fremantle, 4th at 9-2

2008 River Proud, did not run

2006 Papal Bull, 10th at 11-1

2004 Hazyview, 8th at 40-1

2004 Gatwick, 10th at 16-1

2003 KRIS KIN, WON at 6-1

2003 Norse Dancer, 4th at 16-1

2003 Dutch Gold, 6th at 20-1

2002 Fight Your Corner, 5th at 8-1

2002 Bandari, 8th at 9-2

1999 Lucido, 15th at 13-2

1998 Cape Verdi, 9th at 11-4 fav