1. Adelaide River (Seamie Heffernan/Aidan O'Brien)
Adelaide River has some useful form behind re-opposing rivals Arrest and Dubai Mile. He returned with a well-beaten second in the Group 3 Chester Vase behind Arrest on soft ground and may appreciate a sounder surface.
2. Arrest (Frankie Dettori/John and Thady Gosden)
Arrest was a visually impressive six-and-a-half length winner of the Group 3 Chester Vase on soft going and seemed to appreciate the step up in distance. He was a two-time winner as a juvenile and his second behind Dubai Mile in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud could be another solid piece of form.
3. Artistic Star (Rob Hornby/Ralph Beckett)
A winner of a Nottingham maiden on soft ground on his sole start as a juvenile, Artistic Star returned at Sandown Park with a novice stakes win over ten furlongs. It was a solid performance but this represents a considerably tougher ask.
4. Auguste Rodin (Ryan Moore/Aidan O'Brien)
One of the leading juveniles in 2022, Auguste Rodin started favourite for the 2000 Guineas and was very disappointing. He was slightly hampered by stable-mate Little Big Bear in the early stages and never travelled from then on. The stamina test of the Derby was always going to suit the colt better than a mile and if anyone can get Auguste Rodin to bounce back, it would be trainer Aidan O'Brien.
5. Dear My Friend (Andrea Atzeni/Charlie Johnston)
One of two runners for the Johnston yard, Dear My Friend started the new season with a win in the mile Listed Burraden Stakes at Newcastle on the all-weather. He had run well over ten furlongs as a juvenile but struggled in the Group 2 Dante Stakes subsequently.
6. Dubai Mile (Daniel Muscutt/Charlie Johnston)
Dubai Mile is expected to relish the distance after winning the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over ten furlongs at the end of his juvenile season. He ran well to finish fifth in the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket at odds of 33/1 on seasonal reappearance and there is little to dislike about his profile so far.
7. King Of Steel (Kevin Stott/Roger Varian)
King of Steel makes his stable debut for Roger Varian after switching from David Loughnane. A winner on debut at Nottingham in a maiden, he was a well-beaten seventh of eight in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Stakes behind Auguste Rodin and would need to have improved considerably from two to three.
8. Military Order (William Buick/Charlie Appleby)
A full brother to 2021 Derby hero Adayar, Military Order commenced his Classic campaign with a four length success in a Newbury novice. He stepped up in class when recording a victory in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield, which was run on the all-weather due to conditions on the turf track. He's a confirmed stayer and although many expected a larger winning margin at Lingfield, the one-and-a-quarter length gap could be attributed to his inexperience on the all-weather surface.
9. Passenger (Richard Kingscote/Sir Michael Stoute)
An impressive winner of the Wood Ditton over a mile at Newmarket on racecourse debut, Passenger stepped up in class for the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York and suffered trouble in running. He was denied a clear run from two furlongs out and showed a good turn of foot to finish in a dead-heat for third. Breeding would suggest he'll stay and there is clearly more to come from this Ulysses colt.
10. San Antonio (Wayne Lordan/Aidan O'Brien)
Potentially the forgotten horse in the line-up, San Antonio has won both of his starts as a three-year-old including the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester. A son of Rain Goddess, who finished second in the Group 1 Irish Oaks behind Enable, the colt is likely to stay and could continue to improve.
11. Sprewell (Shane Foley/Jessica Harrington)
Sprewell boasts a progressive profile, with two wins from two runs since commencing his Classic campaign. He impressed with a three-length success over Up And Under in the Group 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown and cannot be dismissed lightly.
12. The Foxes (Oisin Murphy/Andrew Balding)
With the post-race chat about the Group 2 Dante Stakes being centred around the unlucky run of Passenger, The Foxes has been somewhat forgotten. He beat Dubai Mile to take the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at the end of his two-year-old campaign and clearly enjoyed the step up in distance when winning the Dante by a neck. Another big performance would not surprise.
13. Waipiro (Tom Marquand/Ed Walker)
Winner of a ten furlong novice stakes at Newmarket on his second career start, Waipiro improved when second in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield (run on the all-weather). He got within one-and-a-quarter lengths of the winner Military Order and the race had not been his original target, after being withdrawn at the start over Guineas weekend due to an injury sustained by Tom Marquand. He may be under-estimated with further improvement to come.
14. White Birch (Colin Keane/John Joseph Murphy)
There are question marks about the suitability of the track for White Birch's distinctive last-to-first running style but his ability is clear. Winner of the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on seasonal reappearance, he improved to finish a neck second in the Group 2 Dante Stakes behind The Foxes.
