Blanco the Potential Value in Derby Betting

If asked which one horse they would want to have running for them in the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 5th most people would surely answer St Nicholas Abbey, writes Elliot Slater.

Aidan O'Brien's Racing Post Trophy winner looked top class in running away from smart opposition and has long been the hot ante-post favourite in the Derby betting odds. There will be plenty of people happy to step in and take the 'top of the head' about the Montjeu colt, but sometimes it can pay to cast the net a little wider.

Racing history is littered with horses who were hot favourite going into the winter break for the following year's classic races, but who either didn't train on as expected, suffered setbacks or met with interference in-running and failed to gain the day.

With an astounding one-third of the total of 101 entries for the Derby, O'Brien has a stranglehold on this year's race having under his care a plethora of unexposed horses all bred along classic lines. Leaving aside St Nicholas Abbey the one that catches my eye is another colt unbeaten in three starts last term, Cape Blanco.

Following a win on debut in a Fairyhouse maiden, Cape Blanco, a son of Galileo, showed an impressive change of gear to win the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown. He then took the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at Fairyhouse despite hating the testing ground. On a decent surface, O'Brien's colt looks a potentially smart prospect and at current horse race betting odds of around 33/1 for the Epsom Derby he might prove to be the best long-term prospect among those in that price bracket.