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With the Derby and Oaks taking place behind closed doors at the Surrey racecourse, it’s set to be a very different meeting this year, but the horses will remain the stars of the show. Carl Evans takes a look
The Investec Derby
English King – bay colt by Camelot out of Platonic (Zafonic)
Form: 71-1
Foaled: 11 April 2017
Breeder: Ecurie Des Monceaux Et Al
Owner: Bjorn Nielsen
Trainer: Ed Walker
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Businessman and racehorse owner/breeder Bjorn Nielsen has enjoyed a run of success with brilliant Stradivarius, who recently won a third Ascot Gold Cup. Nielsen jokes he has been trying to breed a Derby winner for years and instead created one of racing’s great stayers. However, English King – a horse bred in France and bought by Nielsen as a yearling for €210,000 – could provide him with Epsom glory. A winner at Newcastle last year (the second and third placed won next time out), he then showed acceleration and power when winning last month’s Lingfield Derby trial. Frankie Dettori has since been booked for the ride and English King is by a stallion who won the Derby.
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"}