Delacroix or The Lion In Winter? Coolmore face tough choice when giving Ryan Moore the leg up at Epsom

The Lion In Winter’s lacklustre effort in Thursday’s Dante Stakes polarised opinions about his prospects of winning the Derby. After the long-time ante-post favourite finished sixth behind Pride Of Arras, you couldn’t find a pundit willing to entertain him. In marked contrast, it seems bookmakers and punters still retain the faith.

After the race, many bookmakers still quoted The Lion In Winter at shorter odds than Pride Of Arras, who finished four lengths ahead of the Ballydoyle horse at York, a sign of how wary they are of the colt who could yet be Ryan Moore’s Derby mount. And even that didn't stop punters reportedly piling into The Lion In Winter on Monday morning.

Memories of the last two Derbys will be playing on everyone's minds. City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin both rebounded from shocking seasonal comebacks to win at Epsom. The inference is clear: those prepared to dismiss The Lion In Winter are playing with fire.