A 1,100,000gns purchase and a three-parts brother to last year's winner - Classic clues for the Derby

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A fascinating renewal of the Betfred Derby awaits on Saturday, with a whole host of challengers bidding for Classic glory. We take a look at the pedigrees of the leading performers and what they could tell us about their chance for victory.

Benvenuto Cellini

Frankel - Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega)

One of two colts in this year's Derby bred on the Frankel-Lope De Vega cross, Chester Vase victor Benvenuto Cellini was evidently bred to be something special, although he would not want the ground to get too soft. 

The Coolmore and White Birch Farm homebred is out of Newspaperofrecord, a brilliant talent whose victories included a near seven-length win in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She added a second Grade 1 to her record in the 2020 Just A Game Stakes. 

Newspaperofrecord is the dam of Giselle, a sister to Benvenuto Cellini whose victories included the Lingfield Oaks Trial. She also finished a respectable fifth in the Oaks. Newspaperofrecord is a granddaughter of Forever Times, a half-sister to the dam of Irish Derby hero Latrobe and Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood. 

Item

Frankel - Capla Temptress (Lope De Vega)

Juddmonte's homebred has done nothing wrong in three starts to date, his clear-cut Dante win following up two ready scores in maiden and novice events at Kempton and Bath respectively.

Another by Frankel and out of a Lope De Vega mare, the colt is a son of Capla Temptress, a Grade 1 winner in Canada when landing the Natalma Stakes in 2017. Sporting the silks of Team Valor on that occasion, she also landed the Grade 3 My Charmer Stakes at Gulfstream Park the following year for Bill Mott. She subsequently sold privately to Juddmonte in the latter stages of her racing career.

Item: Dante Stakes winner another bred on the Frankel-Lope De Vega crossCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Capla Temptress is out of the winning Dansili mare Mrs Beeton, a half-sister to multiple 1m2f Group winner Stotsfold, while their Shirley Heights dam, Eliza Acton, was a sister to Cesarewitch scorer Top Cees.

Pierre Bonnard

Camelot - Sultanina (New Approach)

Last season's Criterium de Saint-Cloud and Zetland Stakes winner has taken time to come to hand, but he looked back to some where near his best last-time-out when narrowly denied by James J Braddock in Group 3 company. 

The strong-staying son of 2012 Derby winner Camelot is out of Philippa Cooper's Nassau Stakes-winning Sultanina, a New Approach mare who is also the dam of last year's Park Hill Fillies' Stakes third Crepe Suzette. Sultanina is in turn a daughter of 1m2f Listed winner Soft Centre and a half-sister to stakes performer and producer Coconut Creme.

Pierre Bonnard (right): by Camelot and out of the Nassau Stakes-winning SultaninaCredit: Edward Whitaker

Other smart middle-distance performers in the immediate pedigree include French Dressing, dam of Hampton Court Stakes winner Mohaafeth, and Dalvina, a Grade 3 scorer in the US and winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket. 

Maltese Cross

Sea The Stars - Nabatea (Camelot)

Another colt with an excellent middle-distance pedigree, being out of a Camelot half-sister to Grosser Preis von Berlin victor Nymphea and German Derby hero Nutan. The immediate page also includes German Group scorer and Prix Jean Romanet third Navaro Girl, as well as Nazbanou, the stakes-winning dam of narrow Grosser Preis von Berlin runner-up Nerik.

Maltese Cross has done very little wrong himself, building on a neck second on his debut at Ascot last September with a victory over the smart Del Maro at Newmarket later that month. It is of little surprise that he has taken a big step forward at three based on pedigree, his latest win coming in the Lingfield Derby Trial.

Maltese Cross: son of Sea The Stars from a strong staying German family Credit: Megan Rose Photography

By the 2009 Derby winner Sea The Stars and from a strong-staying German family, he has ample staying power and will handle wet conditions. 

James J Braddock

Zarak - Burkina Faso (Mukhadram)

A strapping son of Zarak who landed his maiden at the Curragh last November on heavy ground by six lengths, he will not mind if there is more rainfall. 

The Leopardstown Derby Trial winner is out of a Mukhadram mare who won in France over 1m2½f and is in turn a half-sister to Premio Lydia Tesio scorer Angel Power, as well as Listed-winning miler Flaming Stone. Smart middle-distance handicapper The Reverend, who also won on his hurdles debut for Willie Mullins earlier this year, is another half-sibling. 

James J Braddock: Leopardstown Derby Trial winner has an interesting mix of speed and stamina in his pedigreeCredit: www.carolinenorris.ie

This colt's second dam, Burning Rules, is a half-sister to the popular Blue De Vega, a Group winner when landing the Killavullan Stakes at two. The son of Lope De Vega was also third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas to Awtaad, while he spent the latter part of his career running over sprint trips. The page also includes Burma Sea, the dam of Group 2-winning stayer and Graded-winning hurdler Sober. 

Ancient Egypt

Frankel - Atone (Oasis Dream)

Ancient Egypt is one of two seven-figure purchases for Amo Racing in the field - the other being outsider and 4.3 million guineas Tattersalls Book 1 graduate Poker. A dual winner last year before a below-par effort in the Royal Lodge Stakes, the colt captured Listed honours in the Newmarket Stakes last month. 

Ancient Egypt (Rowan Scott) lands the Listed Newmarket StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

He is a brother to winning miler Senita and a half-brother to the Group-placed Redressed, the trio being out of Atone, a winning Oasis Dream sister to champion Midday. That Henry Cecil-trained filly's wins included the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and three Nassau Stakes, while she also won the Yorkshire Oaks and finished a neck second in the Oaks. 

Another of Atone's siblings, her Frankel half-sister Sun Maiden, won the Hoppings Fillies' Stakes and finished third in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes to the brilliant Star Catcher. The wonderful page traces back to Modena, dam of Eclipse and Irish Champion Stakes winner Elmaamul and Oaks heroine Reams Of Verse.

Bay Of Brilliance

New Bay - Incroyable (Singspiel)

Another progressive colt with plenty more to offer, Bay Of Brilliance was just a neck behind Maltese Cross at Lingfield and another step up in trip really should suit based on his pedigree. 

Bay Of Brilliance winning on his second start at Goodwood last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

The eight-length Redcar winner is a half-brother to smart dual-purpose performer Absurde, a winner of the 2023 Ebor Handicap, while he also scored at the Cheltenham Festival the following year. Another half-sibling, Impertinente, was Group-placed in France when third in the Prix de Psyche.

The trio are out of Singspiel mare Incroyable, a Listed performer over 1m2f on heavy ground during her own racing days. She is out of a half-sister to Prix Marcel Boussac winner and Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Juvenia.

Action

Frankel - Gossamer Wings (Scat Daddy)

This colt has the Derby in his blood, being a three-parts brother to last year's winner Lambourn. The son of Frankel has performed consistently in Group company since his second-start win at Galway last August, including when second to subsequent Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Hawk Mountain in the Futurity Trophy on his final juvenile start. 

Runner-up to Item on his last start in the Dante, Action heads to Epsom in progressive form. Like Galileo, Frankel also has an affinity with speed-orientated mares. This one, the Scat Daddy-sired Gossamer Wings, was a speedy and precocious sort, finishing second in the Queen Mary Stakes and third in the Flying Childers Stakes.

Action strikes at Galway on his second startCredit: Patrick McCann

While Action has to step up again in this company, what price for Gossamer Wings to produce a second consecutive Epsom hero?

Christmas Day

Camelot - Beauly (Sea The Stars)

Another busy Ballydoyle inmate with six starts to his name, including Group 3 wins in last year's Eyrefield Stakes and April's Ballysax Stakes, Christmas Day certainly has solid form to his name. 

Christmas Day ridden by Wayne Lordan wins the Ballysax StakesCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

The Camelot colt is a half-brother to US 1m4f Grade 3 winner Missed The Cut, being out of US stakes winner Beauly, a Sea The Stars half-sister to multiple Listed-winning sprinter Gusto. Beauly and Gusto are out of the Graded-winning Pickle, a half-sister to Sandown Classic Trial third Auld Burns. 

The page also includes Falmouth and Fillies' Mile winner Simply Perfect, the dam of Criterium International victor Proud And Regal. 

The others

Blue Riband and Lingfield Derby Trial third Balzac is from the first crop of Juddmonte International and Grand Prix de Paris victor Japan, the 2019 Derby third standing at Gestut Etzean in Germany. The half-brother to Hampton Court Stakes winner Claymore would be a hugely popular winner for Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Rebel Rocker is a fairytale runner for owner-breeder Jennifer Dorey, being by Cityscape and out of the winning Verglas mare Miss Minuty. He has already run well at the track, finishing second in the Blue Riband Trial.

Alderman, A Taste Of Glory and the aforementioned Poker complete the line-up. A Taste Of Glory is owned by the enthusiastic Ahmad Al Shaikh, who has a knack for having big-priced placed runners in the contest. 

Read more

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Bought by the son, trained by the father, inspired by the legend - the family affair behind the ultimate Derby fairytale 

The house that Galileo built - how the ultimate Derby kingmaker reshaped Britain's greatest race 

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