Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog: 'Ruling Court should be clear favourite for Derby glory'

Hugo Palmer, the leading trainer, shares his latest runners blog. The Coral ambassador previews all the action at Epsom on Saturday this week.

Kindest Nation is out of her depth in this race, and I know that seems a silly thing to say, but it's true. However, our aim is to try to get some black type for this filly, which will enhance her value as a broodmare.

She's in really good form at home, her work has been pleasing me, and she will enjoy some ease in the ground, so if she could nick third place that would be a great result.

It’s a fascinating Derby, largely because we simply don’t know if many of the leading contenders will truly stay the Derby trip. Only four of the 19 runners have won over the distance, and three of them are big outsiders. Lambourn proved he stays when winning the Chester Vase, in the process he played a compliment to his stablemate, and current favourite, Delacroix, who he’d finished second to on his previous run.

Delacroix then won the Leopardstown Derby Trial, and clearly has a big chance, but while he shapes as if he will stay a mile and a half, he does have to prove it, and his sire, Dubawi, has yet to sire a Derby winner. Ryan Moore rides Delacroix, which can obviously be seen as a positive, although plenty of Aidan O’Brien’s ten Derby winners weren’t ridden by the then stable jockey, so neither Lambourn nor The Lion In Winter can be written off, although the latter feels like an unlikely winner after his Dante run.

The horse I think will win, is simply overpriced, and indeed should be clear favourite, is Ruling Court. He’s drawn well in stall seven, and his 2,000 Guineas victory was given a huge boost when the runner-up, Field Of Gold, ran away with the Irish 2,000 Guineas. On breeding the Godolphin colt should stay the distance well, being by Justify, who sired last year’s Derby winner City Of Troy, out of a mare by a Derby winner in High Chapparal. In Charlie Appleby and William Buick, he is trained by a champion and ridden by a champion jockey, and I feel the market is just wrong in having Delacroix as favourite.

Cheshire Belle is a half-sister to our Box To Box, he’s a thorough stayer and he’s by a sprinting sire in Kodiac, so this filly should be an even more stout stayer given her sire was. She ran OK on her debut at Haydock, but she does need to strengthen up further, and as I say, I'm sure she will appreciate longer trips in the future. She will learn a bit more here, and is one for the future when stepped up in trip.

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