Jim Crowley Friday rides blog: 'I would not swap my filly for any of them'

We’re drawn well in five, she’s well-balanced, and has a great mind, and any further rain will only play to her strengths, so I am really excited about this race. Desert Flower is a worthy favourite, she is unbeaten but does need to prove she stays, and Aidan O’Brien’s trio have to be respected, but I would not swap my filly for any of them.

Samuel Colt is having just his second start for Amanda [Perrett] since switching from Aidan O’Brien, he carries top weight here as a result of his form when trained in Ireland. He finished down the field at Kempton before Christmas, I’m sure the team have learned plenty about him, and we can expect him to improve for this return to action.

With 19 runners, this is the biggest Derby field for over 20 years, but I’m not sure that means it’s packed full of quality, and the betting shows there are a handful of big priced outsiders, and while one of them could run in the first four or five, I’d be amazed if the winner wasn’t one of the runners towards the head of the betting.

If the Guineas winner [Ruling Court] stays, he has a massive chance from stall seven, while Pride Of Arras won the Dante well, and can’t be discounted despite his high draw. You write off an Aidan O’Brien runner at your peril despite a bad run last time, but even so, it’s hard to see The Lion In Winter improving enough from his Dante run to win this, although I don’t think the widest draw of 19 is as bad as being drawn lowest of all in stall one.

The Lion In Winter has also been overlooked by Ryan Moore, he rides DELACROIX, and I can understand that, he’d be my choice if I had to make it. He’s won his two trials well, he’s gone the route Aidan used back in the day with Galileo and High Chaparral, and of all the leading contenders he looks the one with least question marks against him.

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