How to pick the Derby winner: six different ways to make your selection

There are as many ways to pick winners in horseracing as you can imagine, and probably a few more. The Racing Post have an unrivalled breadth of top tipsters with various specialist methods. Ahead of the Derby on Saturday, six of our experts share their pearls of wisdom . . .

Handicap ratings

He may not head the market, but Kameko sets a clear standard at the head of the Derby ratings after running to a Racing Post Rating of 121 when winning the 2,000 Guineas. That puts him 8lb clear of the field on ratings, which in theory suggests the others have at least five lengths to make up.

Paul Curtis, Racing Post Ratings

Is Kameko your Investec Derby winner?Credit: Edward Whitaker

Speed figures

The top three on the stopwatch are covered by just a pound and preference is for English King. He had time buffs purring when romping home at Lingfield last month, bettering standard time by 1.44 seconds and showing his ability to quicken off already searching fractions. Such an attribute separates the wheat from the chaff and will be a vital asset in the Derby.

Dave Edwards, Topspeed

Pedigrees

Russian Emperor shaped like the Derby trip would be well within his compass when winning at Royal Ascot and, like last year's winner Anthony Van Dyck, he is the product of a mating between Galileo and a top-class Australian mare, one who stayed 1m2f. There is class and, crucially, stamina running right through his pedigree, which are what you need to win the Derby.

James Thomas, deputy bloodstock editor

Russian Emperor: has a positive pedigree for Epsom's testCredit: Pool

Trends

The trends are against stall 1, which scuppers English King and makes Kameko the trends pick. The 2,000 Guineas has become a key Derby trial again and he was a clear-cut winner of that race. He will be hard to beat if he stays.

Kevin Morley, Big-Race Trends

Form analysis

I would much rather take on the big guns with Mohican Heights, who looked to need all of 1m4f when third to Pyledriver in the King Edward VII Stakes on his comeback. His stable was one of the worst affected by lockdown, he is nailed on to improve for that outing, and the booking of Andrea Atzeni is the icing on the cake. I’m sure he will reverse that form and have a say at least.

Dave Orton, Raceform

Tom Segal believes Irish 2,000 Guineas form could come to the fore in the Investec DerbyCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Top Tipster

If there is one horse that is going to improve out of all recognition in this year's Derby it is going to be Vatican City, who would have given Siskin a real fright in the Irish 2,000 Guineas had he been granted a clear run. He will definitely stay 1m2f and any son of Galileo has a decent shot of lasting out the Derby's 1m4f trip too.

Tom Segal, Pricewise

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