Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner King's Best will face 15 rivals when he lines up for the Vodafone Derby at Epsom on Saturday. There were no surprise omissions when final declarations for the premier Classic were made this morning, with Ciro, Hataab, Media Puzzle and Shakespeare the only absentees.
Aidan O'Brien relies on Racing Post Trophy winner Aristotle who was disqualified after passing the post first in the Prix Greffulhe at Longchamp in April. O'Brien today withdrew Ciro and Shakespeare, the latter having been declared for the Low Low European Breeders Fund Race at Cork tomorrow evening.
King's Best, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, will be bidding to become the first horse since Nashwan in 1989 to follow victory at Newmarket with success in the Derby. And jockey Kieren Fallon will be hoping to win back-to-back renewals of the race having partnered Oath to glory in 1999.
