Line Of Duty and Madhmoon among those added to Derby mix

Madhmoon was among those entered at a cost of £9,000. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Breeders’ Cup winner Line Of Duty and the unbeaten Madhmoon star among 14 second entries for the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs on, June 1.

The total number of three-year-olds going forward for Britain’s premier Classic and richest race, which forms part of the Middle Distance category of the QIPCO British Champions Series, now stands at 107.

Line Of Duty is one of three second entries for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, who is chasing a second successive Investec Derby victory after Masar’s landmark victory in the royal blue colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s racing operation in 2018.

Line Of Duty, a son of 2001 Investec Derby hero Galileo, has been successful on his three latest starts and signed off 2018 with a gutsy success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs, in November.

He is a 16-1 chance for the Derby with Unibet, official betting partner of the Investec Derby Festival, with Too Darn Hot, Europe’s top two-year-old in 2018, the 9-2 market leader.

Godolphin’s other second entries are the unbeaten Dubawi colts Al Hilalee, successful in a mile Listed contest at Deauville on his second start, and impressive Nottingham maiden victor Space Blues. Both were among our Dark Horses series this winter.

Veteran Irish trainer Kevin Prendergast has not saddled a runner in the Investec Derby since 1996, though that could change in 2019 courtesy of Madhmoon. He was among those to feature in our New Kids On The Block series.

Hamdan Al Maktoum’s homebred – a three-year-old colt by Dawn Approach – won both of his 2018 starts in eye-catching fashion, including a mile Group 2 event at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend in September.

Kadar is one of several exciting winners among the second entries and a potential first Investec Derby runner for emerging Dubai-based owner Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited.

Trained by Karl Burke, the €700,000 Scat Daddy colt impressed on debut in a mile novice race at Haydock Park in September, striding out nicely to win by a length and a quarter.

“Kadar has wintered really well and we are delighted with him,” Burke said. “He will start off at Newmarket in either the Feilden Stakes over nine furlongs or the Craven Stakes over the mile, that is the plan at the moment.

“Then we will make a decision about where we go after that, whether it’s the QIPCO 2000 Guineas or the Dante.

“He has an interesting pedigree being by Scat Daddy and out of a Sinndar mare. I think he will definitely stay further than a mile. I loved him last year and he is starting to show at home that he has a lot of ability.”

It cost £9,000 to make a second entry for the 2019 Investec Derby.

One horse can secure a wildcard entry by winning the 10-furlong Listed Investec Blue Riband Trial Stakes at the Investec Spring Meeting at Epsom Downs on Wednesday, April 24 (if not already entered or a gelding).

The final entry stage for the Investec Derby is the five-day confirmation stage on Monday, May 27, when horses can be supplemented at a cost of £85,000.