Epsom Derby 2023 runners and riders: A horse-by-horse guide

The biggest race of the British Flat season, the Epsom Derby, is nearly upon us.

Here, Telegraph Sport gives you the rundown on every horse entered in the race along with a rating and the latest odds.

Adelaide River

Owner: Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg 
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien 
By Australia, dam won one race from 16 starts at about a mile so not the best bred of the Ballydoyle contingent. Well beaten by Dubai Mile last year and Arrest at Chester though they clearly had hopes for him running in the Chester Vase, a race they had won nine times. Has only raced on heavy. Might improve a bit on better ground and, possibly, over shorter but not opening the batting on the team sheet. 
Rating (0-5): *
Current odds: 66/1

Alder

Owner: Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg  
Trainer: Donnacha O’Brien 
Not far behind Auguste Rodin as a two-year-old at Leopardstown last September, semi-respectable runner up in the Dee Stakes at Chester when favourite. Another by Australia. Wins have come at Cork and Killarney, far flung Irish racecourses not normally on the road to Epsom. The son, Donnacha, unlikely to topple the dad, Aidan, with this one. 
Rating: ** 
Current odds: 33/1

Arrest

Owner: Juddmonte
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori
Topical name with protests expected. Sure to be the housewives’ choice with Frankie Dettori up on his 28th and last Derby ride. By all-round superdad Frankel, which is a big plus, definitely stays a mile and a half having won the Chester Vase and has had a spin round Tattenham Corner in a dry run recently but probably a good few lbs more effective on soft ground with his high knee action and size. Might just get away with it on watered good ground.
Rating: **** 
Current odds: 6/1

Artistic Star

Owner: Mr J. C. Smith 
Trainer: Ralph Beckett
Galileo colt who goes into the race with one claim to fame in that he is unbeaten. Late foal - May 27 - which might mean this all comes a bit soon for him physically. Stepped up from a maiden two-year-old to a nice novices stakes victory at Sandown recently and looks a smart horse in the making. In an ideal world the Edward VII at Royal Ascot would be the target as this race comes soon enough. Not the trainer’s usual modus operandi but there is only one Derby.
Rating: ***
Current odds: 40/1

Auguste Rodin

Owner: Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg  
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien 
Has always been the apple of Aidan O’Brien’s eye since winning the Futurity, a key two-year-old trial, at Doncaster last October. Race has not worked out since though and he bombed out big style in the Guineas, beating two home and running more like one of his namesake’s statues. By Japanese super-sire Deep Impact, trip no problem and in the right hands but still a leap of faith to see him redeeming self here. Can’t have him at current price.
Rating: *** 
Current odds: 4/1

Covent Garden

Owner: Westerberg/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Ireland
We are getting towards the last of the Galileo’s progeny now and this is one of them. That he has already been tried over a mile and five furlongs suggests ‘slow’ in relative terms and his full-brother was placed in two Melbourne Cups which also suggests too much stamina and not enough speed for a Derby. Possible a useful stayer in the making, might enjoy some decent ground but unlikely to cut it Epsom. Pacemaker material, go fast and hope to stay there.
Rating: **  
Current odds: 66/1

Dear My Friend

Owner: Middleham Park Racing XXV & Michael Lai 
Trainer: Charlie Johnston
Warmed up for the season winning at Newcastle but well beaten in the Dante when no obvious excuses. If he goes to Epsom it will be as stable’s second string to Dubai Mile. Owned by a very successful syndicate operation - only one syndicate horse, Motivator, has ever won a Derby before and the last one trained in the north was Dante at the tail end of the War so stas against him.
Rating: **   
Current odds: 50/1

Dubai Mile

Owner: Ahmad Al Shaikh 
Trainer: Charlie Johnston
Comes in vastly underrated and one of the value bets. Two-year-old form almost identical to The Foxes, won Group One Grand Criterium de Saint-Cloud over a mile and a quarter at two which suggests that even by Roaring Lion, his dam’s side has enough stamina in it to see him home over a mile and a half. Finished a good fifth in the Guineas, so close to one of racing’s great adages; ‘fourth in the Guineas, first in the Derby.’ Under radar, excellent chance.
Rating: ****    
Current odds: 14/1

King of Steel

Owner: Amo Racing 
Trainer: Roger Varian
Not seen out this season. Well, he was actually but got upset in the stalls in the Dante and was withdrawn. We have to go back to Shaamit in 1996 for the last colt to win making his reappearance. Went straight from winning a maiden to the Futurity where he was well beaten by Auguste Rodin (and a few others). Owned by football super agent Kia Joorabchian - I expect he wishes he could transfer Military Order to his team. He has form though with Mojo Star finishing second at 50-1 two years ago but the first hurdle for this big colt will be getting in the stalls and coming out of the front of them rather than the back. 
Rating: *
Current odds: 100/1

Military Order

Owner: Godolphin 
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Looks tailor-made and, in an open race, a worthy favourite. A full-brother to 2021 winner Adayar - 13 pairs of siblings have won it -  already proven over a mile and a half and, though a strapping strong sort, looked nifty enough scooting to the inside for a gap on the rail on the all-weather at Lingfield last time, to handle the uphill-down dale topography of Epsom. 
Rating: *****
Current odds: 3/1

Passenger

Owner: Flaxman Stables 
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute
The least experienced runner with just two starts under his belt. He was all dressed with nowhere to go in the Dante when he was persistently denied a run. That can sometimes be mis-leading but it might not be the worst thing to have ever happened given the short time period between races and would not be biggest surprise if he reversed Dante form with The Foxes and White Birch. Bred to stay, still a bit of an unknown quantity but could be very good. 
Rating: ****  
Current odds: 5/1

San Antonio

Owner: Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg 
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Unbeaten in two starts this season which is something including the Dee Stakes, a recognised trial, over a mile and a quarter at Chester when he looked like he would get the Derby trip. By Dubawi, along with Frankel a great modern sire although he has yet to father a Derby winner. Not the worst of the Ballydoyle gang but needs to keep upping his game to figure.
Rating: *** 
Current odds: 30/1

Sprewell

Owner: Mr Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim 
Trainer: Mrs J. Harrington
On breeding, by a miler out of a miler who stretched it out to a mile and a quarter in the EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, he should need the assistance of a horsebox to get a mile and a half. But the further he went in the Leopardstown trial the better he went and that was on testing ground. Everyone says no one colt won a trial dominantly but he powered through the line three lengths clear. Circumstance has dictated he has only run on soft or softer. If good ground were to improve him which his action says it might, then he is your 12-1 winner.
Rating: *****  
Current odds: 11/1

The Foxes

Owner: King Power Racing
Trainer: Andrew Balding
In the same ownership as Leicester City so possibly some sporting cheer for them. Won the Dante well enough at York although if you were being super critical he had the run of the race. He and the runner-up White Birch had hard enough races and only have 16 days to recover and go again. Slight if about him staying the distance but solid chance. ****
Rating: ****
Current odds: 10/1

Waipiro

Owner: Mr P. K. Siu 
Trainer: Ed Walker
Another who looks good value at 16-1. Presumably, by Australia, named after the bay in New Zealand, same continent anyway. Has just a length and a quarter to find with the favourite Military Order on their Lingfield form and you could argue the winner had the run of the race. The pair finished well clear of the rest which is a good sign. Proven on good ground which he is likely to get. Comes in slightly under-rated. **** 
Rating: ****
Current odds: 20/1

White Birch

Owner: Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez 
Trainer: John Joseph Murphy 
Ran a stormer in the Dante to push The Foxes to the post by staying on strongly up the straight after being awkward out of the stalls and racing at the back. Needs to get over a hard race at York in double quick time but looks a tough sort. Trainer won the Champion Chase with Newmill but aims high and sometimes hits the target. The last (and only fourth in 243 editions) grey to win the Derby was Airborne, heavily backed by demobbed RAF personnel, in 1946 - it’s been too long.
Rating: **** 
Current odds: 14/1