Aidan O’Brien stars stand their ground as 20 remain in contention for the Derby

Ante-post favourites Delacroix, Ruling Court, Pride Of Arras and The Lion In Winter were confirmed while two French raiders have been supplemented
Aidan O’Brien’s star colts Delacroix and The Lion In Winter were two of 18 confirmations for Saturday’s Betfred Derby at Epsom, with French raiders Midak and New Ground making a field of 20 runners after the pair were supplemented on Monday.
The £1.5 million contest will be run in honour of the late Aga Khan, a five-time Derby winner who died in February, and the unbeaten Midak was added to the field at a cost of £75,000 to run in the Aga Khan Stud silks for trainer Francis Graffard, who bids to become the first French winner of the race since Pour Moi in 2011.
The 12-1 shot is joined by Juddmonte’s New Ground, who was third in the Listed Prix de Suresnes when last seen, for trainer Henri-Francois Devin.
The two trainers make their first appearance in the Saturday’s Classic and will take on the Derby’s most successful trainer O’Brien, a ten-time winner of the race including with City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin in the last two years.
His Shackleton was among seven runners scratched at the confirmation stage but the Ballydoyle trainer is still well represented with Puppet Master, Lambourn, The Lion In Winter and Delacroix, who leads the market after two smart trial wins this spring.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Tennessee Stud is the only other Irish runner after Dermot Weld scratched his Leopardstown Trial runner-up Purview.
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The home challenge will be led by 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court, one of two Godolphin confirmations alongside the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Tornado Alert.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained pair of Damysus and Nightwalker also remained in contention alongside Dante winner Pride Of Arras for Ralph Beckett.
The final field will be declared at 10am on Wednesday morning, a day earlier than usual as part of an initiative to increase excitement and anticipation for the Derby.
Conditions are currently good at Epsom but rain is expected in the coming days, with showers anticipated from Thursday until raceday.