And so it comes down to this: 14 runners are set to go to post for the Betfred Derby, which, with a newly elevated prize fund of £2 million, is the co-richest race in Britain in 2026.Five British-breds will take on six horses born in Ireland, two in Germany and one in France, with their origins representing the broad spectrum, from a homebred for one-mare owner Jennifer Dorey to four colts representing the most powerful bloodstock operation in the world, Coolmore. Ten of them were sold either as a foal or yearling, ranging in price from €20,000 to 4.3 million gns.The Derby is and should be a race for the hard-nosed and the hobbyists. With a history woven with fairytale outcomes and interlaced with drama, it remains for many the impossible dream.Will Saturday see a twelfth victory for Aidan O'Brien, pushing him higher still in the record books, or can Andrew Balding seal an emotional victory in a year which started with the passing of his father Ian, trainer of one of the best Derby winners of all time, Mill Reef? Those two trainers have the first two in the betting, Benvenuto Cellini and Item, who coincidentally are both bred on the same Frankel-Lope De Vega cross. With four colts in the field, Frankel is the best represented sire, while the 2012 Derby winner Camelot has two runners and is broodmare sire of another. Should Action prevail for O'Brien, it would be a significant feather in the cap for the Scat Daddy mare Gossamer Wings as he would be following in the footsteps of his half-brother, last year's winner Lambourn (Australia), who lines up for the Coronation Cup just an hour before the Derby.ACTION (IRE)Frankel – Gossamer Wings (Scat Daddy)Drawn: 11Form: 3132-42OR: 113The Coolmore homebred was runner-up to Item in the Dante Stakes after finishing fourth in the Sandown Classic Trial, and he has some decent placed form as a two-year-old, having finished third to Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge Stakes and runner-up in the Futurity Trophy, splitting stable-mates Hawk Mountain and Benvenuto Cellini. Hawk Mountain was himself second last Sunday in the Prix du Jockey Club. Gossamer Wings was beaten a short-head in the Queen Mary Stakes and she has provided some zip to counterbalance the stamina influences of Australia and Frankel in producing two out of three black-type runners to date, with her pièce de resistance of course being dual Derby winner Lambourn. ALDERMAN (GB)Study Of Man – Alagappa (Archipenko)Drawn: 6Form: 73-2OR: 83Bred by Emma Capon and bought as a foal for 42,000gns by Julie Wood, Alderman is one of two maidens in the line-up but was given a taste of Epsom when taking part in the Betfred Derby Gallops Morning last week. Study Of Man's greatest achievement to date is as the sire of dual Group 1 winner Kalpana, who copes well with 1m4f, and Study Of Man's venerable sire Deep Impact has been responsible for Derby winner Auguste Rodin and Oaks winner Snowfall. The unraced Alagappa is from Kirsten Rausing's highly productive family of Alruccaba and is out of the 1m4f Listed winner Alma Mater (Sadler's Wells), while third dam Alouette (Darshaan) also won over the trip. Stamina shouldn't be an issue, but a rating of 83 will see the Richard Hannon-trained Alderman start at three-figure odds.ANCIENT EGYPT (IRE)Frankel – Atone (Oasis Dream)Drawn: 10Form: 117-1OR: 100The better fancied of the Amo Racing duo after his Listed Newmarket Stakes win, Ancient Egypt was bred by Yulong Investments and sold to Kia Joorabhcian's team for 1.1 million gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. During a significant outlay through that sale in particular, Joorabchian spoke of his keenness to be seated at the top table, and this colt puts him back in the Derby spotlight after twice finishing second with King Of Steel and Mojo Star. From a terrific Juddmonte family, Ancient Egypt's dam Atone is a winning full-sister to the great Midday, who was beaten a short-head in the Oaks by Sariska and went on to win six Group 1s. Atone was a lesser performer than her celebrated sister but bloodstock history is strewn with tales of 'Cinderella mares' and it would be no surprise to see the statuesque Ancient Egypt step forward again for Charlie Johnston. He looked to cope well with the hill and Tattenham Corner during Epsom's Derby gallops. A TASTE OF GLORY (GER)Soldier Hollow – Aothea (Areion)Drawn: 7Form: 4410-16OR: 84Like Julie Wood, owner Ahmad Al Shaikh carries a Derby dream and aims for this race above all others. He has been rewarded with two runners-up, Khalifa Sat and Hoo Ya Mal, but A Taste Of Glory, who was bought at the BBAG Yearling Sale for €20,000, will need to make significant improvement if he is to play a part. A winner at Brighton over a mile at two, and then at Lingfield this year over 1m2f, he was last of six in the Lingfield Derby Trial behind fellow rivals Maltese Cross, Bay Of Brilliance and Balzac. Rated 84 and trained by Andrew Balding, he was bred by Gestut Auenquelle, the former home of his late sire Soldier Hollow, a noted middle-distance influence. His dam's sole win came at Baden-Baden over 7f and she is a full-sister to the Group 3-winning miler Auenperle. BALZAC (GER)Japan – Brit Wit (High Chaparral)Drawn: 2Form: 3-133OR: 97Balzac's sole win came on the all-weather at Kempton on his three-year-old debut but he has placed in two formal Derby trials and has crucial experience of Epsom, having run in the Blue Riband Trial and turned out for last week's gallops morning. His trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam bought him a foal for 30,000gns from breeder Gunther Schmidt and also trains his Group 3-winning half-brother Claymore (New Bay).Balzac's sire was third in the Derby while his damsire won in 2002. The unraced Brit Wit is out of the Monsun mare Brisk Breeze, a Listed winner who was second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial. Could see him running a big race at a big price. BAY OF BRILLIANCE (GB)New Bay – Incroyable (Singspiel)Drawn: 9Form: 511-2OR: 107An 85,000gns foal from Salcey Forest Stud and a 140,000gns Tattersalls Book 2 yearling, Bay Of Brilliance bids to give trainer Ralph Beckett and owner Valmont a first Derby success after they combined to win the Irish Oaks with You Got To Me (Nathaniel). Bought as a yearling by Alex Elliott, he was bred by C&S Bloodstock and KT Bloodstock and put together two nice wins last autumn over 1m2f and 1m1f before being beaten only a neck by Maltese Cross in the Lingfield Derby Trial. His Wertheimer-bred dam was best over 1m2f and coped well in soft conditions – a trait often attributed to the stock of New Bay, too, which could be in his favour if the rain persists in the Epsom area.BENVENUTO CELLINI (IRE)Frankel – Newspaperofrecord (Lope De Vega)Drawn: 12Form: 2113-1OR: 112Considered Coolmore's number one of the quartet, Benvenuto Cellini floated around Chester, easily winning the Chester Vase, which had been Lambourn's springboard to success in last year's Derby. Four starts at two have given him a decent seasoning, and they include a win in the four-runner G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes. His dam Newspaperofrecord was bought by Klaravich Stables from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 200,000gns. From the family of Irish Derby winner Latrobe, she was unbeaten at two, including in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and later won the G1 Just A Game Stakes over a mile. Her first foal, this colt's full-sister Giselle, was fifth in the Oaks last year after winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial. A worthy favourite for the Coolmore and White Birch team.CHRISTMAS DAY (IRE)Camelot – Beauly (Sea The Stars)Drawn: 5Form: 3511-13OR: 109Bred by Framont Ltd and bought by Jamie McCalmont for the Coolmore team for 450,000gms at Tattersalls October Book 1, he was third behind Item in the Dante Stakes after winning the Ballysax Stakes in April. A four-start juvenile season concluded with a win in the G3 Eyrefield Stakes over recent Prix du Jockey Club fourth A Boy Named Susie.With Derby winners Camelot and Sea The Stars as sire and damsire, stamina ought not to be an issue, though his dam is a half-sister to the Listed-winning sprinter Gusto (Oasis Dream). Beauly enjoyed a longer trip herself and has has already produced Christmas Day's half-brother Missed The Cut (Quality Road), who has won two Grade 3 races in America over 1m4f.Santa Claus won the Derby in 1964, and perhaps we will once again have Christmas in June. ITEM (GB)Frankel – Capla Temptress (Lope De Vega)Drawn: 3Form: 11-1OR: 117Unbeaten and the top-rated of the field, the Juddmonte homebred is the third foal of the G1 Natalma Stakes winner Capla Temptress who did her best work at a mile and was a private purchase by Juddmonte. She's from a family which traces back to Peter Harris's Sing Softly clan which includes the hardy stayer Top Cees, a full-brother to this colt's third dam Eliza Acton. Item hasn't put a foot wrong so far and is rightly considered one of the leading players for Andrew Balding and Colin Keane, who are each bidding for a first Derby win.JAMES J BRADDOCK (GB)Zarak – Burkina Fasso (Mukhadram)Drawn: 13Form: 21-51OR: 108Bred by Anita Wigan, James J Braddock, who is named after the American boxer, punched his way into the Derby reckoning when getting the better of erstwhile winter favourite Pierre Bonnard in the Leopardstown Derby Trial, having previously run fifth behind Christmas Day in the Ballysax. He broke his maiden by six lengths in heavy ground last November at the Curragh.Wigan also bred his dam, who won over 2,100m in the French provinces and is a half-sister to the useful pair of Flaming Stone (Kingman), runner-up in the G3 Prix Vanteaux and third in the G2 Prix Saint-Alary, and the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio and G3 Pride Stakes winner Angel Power (Lope De Vega).Trainer Joseph O'Brien, who has won the Derby twice as a jockey aboard Camelot and Australia, bought James J Braddock as a yearling for 40,000gns from Glidawn Stud, who had in turn pinhooked him as a foal for 20,000gns when he was sold on his breeder's behalf by Selwood Bloodstock.MALTESE CROSS (FR)Sea The Stars – Nabatea (Camelot)Drawn: 1Form 21-11OR: 108Another colt with strong Derby claims on each side of his pedigree, Maltese Cross is out of a half-sister to the Deutsches Derby winner Nutan (Duke Of Marmalade) and Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Nymphea (Dylan Thomas). Bred by Ecurie du Sud and Ecurie Gribomont, the team also responsible for Oaks contender A La Prochaine, Maltese Cross was bought as a foal at Arqana by Philipp Stauffenberg for €200,000 and then as a yearling for 350,000gns by Sam Haggas at Tattersalls October Book 1. A first Derby runner for owner George Waud, he has solid credentials following his hard-fought win in the Lingfield Derby Trial for William Haggas. PIERRE BONNARD (IRE)Camelot – Sultanina (New Approach)Drawn: 8Form: 4111-72OR: 109Derby favourite over the winter following his taking wins in the G3 Zetland Stakes and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in testing conditions, Pierre Bonnard hasn't had the same wow factor this term but has shortened in the betting since rain started falling on Epsom overnight on Monday. His trainer was already talking about a St Leger outing for him when speaking at a press day in May. He was bred by Rathasker Stud, who bought his G1 Nassau Stakes-winning dam Sultanina from Philippa Cooper's Normandie Stud. She was carrying Pierre Bonnard when she was sold for 78,000gns. Camas Park Stud pinhooked him as a foal for €80,000 and brought him to the Goffs Orby Sale, where he fetched €280,000, sold to MV Magnier. His half-sister Crepe Suzette (Saxon Warrior) was third in the G2 Park Hill Fillies' Stakes behind Santorini Star. No stamina concerns here.POKER (IRE)Wootton Bassett – Park Bloom (Galileo)Drawn: 4Form: 62-2OR: 80Poker was bred by Lodge Park Stud, whose association with Epsom includes Derby winner New Approach and Oaks winner Was, and they both feature in his pedigree. His granddam Alluring Park (Green Desert) is a half-sister to New Approach and is also the dam of Was and her full-sister Park Bloom. The latter broke her maiden at the Curragh over a mile and later won at Deauville over 1m2f. This is Park Bloom's third foal and he cost a fortune – 4.3mgns to be precise – when becoming the top-priced colt at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale during an eye-watering spending spree by Amo Racing and partners. The mare has yet to produce a winner from her three runners to date, though Poker is the best of them. He was runner-up to Bay Of Brilliance at two, when finishing eight and a half lengths behind him at Redcar. This is a big ask, despite his lovely pedigree. REBEL ROCKER (GB)Cityscape – Miss Minuty (Verglas)Drawn: 14Form 1-2OR: 99Living the dream for all small-owner-breeders, Jennifer Dorey, who featured in these pages last week, will be represented by her first Derby runner in the Faye Bramley-trained Rebel Rocker. Dorey bought his John Pearce-bred dam Miss Minuty from a claimer. Rated 77, she was a hardy performer, winning six of her starts at up to 1m2f. She is a half-sister to the decent stayer St Michel (Sea The Stars) and has also bred the five-time winner Miss Dolly Rocker (Frontiersman), who's won on all sorts of ground and has struck three times over 1m4f.Rebel Rocker is inexperienced, having run only twice, including when winning on debut last November at Kempton. But he looked to be learning with every stride he took as he ran on well down the Epsom straight to finish second in the Blue Riband Trial and it would be no surprise to see him outrun his odds. The post The Betfred Derby Pedigree and Form Notebook appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.