Matt Brocklebank is on the hunt for Betfred Derby dark horses and he shines the torch on three interesting colts at long odds.

TENNESSEE STUD

  • Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
  • Timeform rating: 109 p
  • General odds: 33/1

The 2000 Guineas looked a terrific Derby trial at Newmarket, the winner Ruling Court among those likely to be heading for Epsom, and will be fascinating to see how it plays out at Chester, Lingfield, York and beyond over the next few days and weeks.

In Ireland, this Sunday’s Cashel Palace Derby Trial Stakes could have a major bearing on the antepost market as Aidan O’Brien’s Delacroix bids to follow up his comeback success in the Ballysax at the end of March.

It’ll take a decent horse to lower his colours and he’s already as short at 10/1 for the Derby but he’s hoping going to be coming up against Tennessee Stud and it’s the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt who interests me most at the prices.

O’Brien (jnr) has already got one over on his old man with this horse, who beat odds-on Ballydoyle hope Shackleton in a Tipperary maiden last September and he proved that to be no flash in the pan when splitting Hotazhell and Andrew Balding’s Windlord in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh later that month.

Having stayed the trip well when successful upped to 10 furlongs for the first time in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud at the back end of the season, Tennessee Stud brings so much untapped potential into his Classic campaign and I can’t imagine he was loving the heavy ground in Saint-Cloud.

A mile and a half should be right up his street this year based on breeding but narrow second to subsequent Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell shows he’s got gears too and the 33/1 on offer now for the Derby will be long gone if he proves he’s trained on as hoped at Leopardstown on Sunday.

WATCH: Tennessee Stud goes down fighting in the Beresford Stakes

HOPEWELL ROCK

  • Trainer: George Boughey
  • Timeform rating: 101 p
  • General odds: 50/1

Newmarket trainer George Boughey may have been forgiven for thinking he’d peaked when winning a Classic as a 30-year-old but his stocks continue to rise and he clearly has the backing of some of the biggest-hitting owners.

Boughey went to 235,000gns to secure Hopewell Rock from the Tattersalls Book 1 sale in October 2023 and the colt runs in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, who hasn’t had a Derby runner since Third Realm finished fifth to Adayar in 2021.

Hopewell Rock is clearly a big price to go four places better this summer but he could be of that sort of calibre based on the promise he showed in a couple of starts as a juvenile last year. Not seen until the August of his two-year-old career, the son of New Bay made an immediate impression when landing a Newbury maiden from a couple of subsequent winners and he shouldn’t be judged too harshly on his narrow follow-up success at Bath when the ground was pretty desperate.

Timeform noted he looked a ‘smart prospect’ and ‘one to follow’ in light of the Bath triumph under a penalty (the runner-up was receiving 6lb and is now rated 92) and it’s hard to argue with that.

Boughey has famously never trained a winner at York (0-33) and it would be some story if he finally broke through on the Knavesmire with this highly promising individual in next week’s Dante Stakes, although there could be the small matter of Derby favourite The Lion In Winter standing in his path.

WATCH: Hopewell Rock justifies short odds in a novice event at Bath

PRIDE OF ARRAS

  • Trainer: Ralph Beckett
  • Timeform rating: 90 P
  • General odds: 66/1

Having won the Oaks on a couple of occasions and now the Arc last year with Bluestocking, it’s safe to assume the Betfred Derby is going to be top of Ralph Beckett’s bucket-list.

That’s seemingly reflected in the fact he entered a dozen horses in this year’s Epsom Classic and among that lot it’s definitely 66/1 shot Pride Of Arras who appeals.

A sizeable New Bay colt who is closely related to a number of middle-distance winners, Pride Of Arras was the subject of strong market support ahead of his August debut in a mile maiden at Sandown and eventually won quite impressively having looked a little green and half-asleep around three furlongs from home.

The bare form isn’t earth-shattering but the second and third have won races since and are both rated in the 90s which helps add some context as Pride Of Arras won going away by three and a quarter lengths on good going.

Recent winners of that particular Sandown contest include Too Darn Hot and Beckett’s 2022 Derby third and Irish Derby hero Westover so we could be looking at another colt of considerable potential despite the fact he’s not been sighted in public since (“had a small issue after he won” according to the trainer).

Entered in the Dante at York later in the month, it could be that Beckett takes the colt to the Knavesmire given he’s not in at Lingfield this weekend.

WATCH: Pride Of Arras makes no mistake as favourite on his Sandown debut

More from Sporting LifeSafer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.