WHEN in doubt, it’s often prudent to ask the experts. Today’s Betfred Derby (4.30) certainly can’t be described as a one-horse race, with long-standing favourite City Of Troy out to bounce back from a 2000 Guineas flop from what can historically be a difficult draw in stall one.

According to several bookmakers, the great Ballydoyle hope has even been under pressure to hold onto favouritism this week, as ante-post punters support stablemate Los Angeles in the build up.

With a field of 16 going to post and uncertainty at the head of the market, we asked three former Derby-winning riders who they would choose to ride if handed the choice of any runner in this year’s field.

Kieren Fallon knows a thing or two about success in the Epsom classic. In fact, the 2024 Derby marks 25 years since his first of three victories in the race in 1999 on Oath, who came from the same gate as City Of Troy in stall one. It is also 20 years since Fallon’s final triumph in the classic aboard North Light in 2004, following on from his win aboard Kris Kin 12 months earlier.

“If the rain stays away, I’d give a real chance to Ambiente Friendly,” Fallon told The Irish Field.

“He did it very well last time in the Derby Trial at Lingfield on decent ground and I wouldn’t have thought he’d like conditions to ease at all. He’s got good speed figures, good times behind him.

“Looking at the race overall, I feel it’s a very open year. It actually looks like potentially being one of the worst Derbys we’ve seen in a long time, and some of the fancied ones aren’t running. For example, I’d have given Arabian Crown a massive chance if he lined up here for Charlie Appleby.

Balding outsiders

“If I was still riding, it’s the sort of year I’d find it tough to be strong on one horse but you’d like to think Ambiente Friendly will be involved if the ground stays dry. At much bigger prices, it wouldn’t shock me if either of Andrew Balding’s runners, Bellum Justum and Sayedaty Sadaty, were in the mix.”

On the controversial call to replace regular rider Callum Shepherd with Rab Havlin on the Gredley Family’s Gleneagles colt, Fallon added: “I think Callum is a very good rider and a lovely kid. I feel bad for him on what has happened with Ambiente Friendly. I can personally remember getting jocked off Sapience for Pat Eddery in the [1989] Ebor, and [when he went on to win] I thought my career was over. I was gutted at the time and this situation will hit Callum hard, but he’s young and I know he will bounce back.”

Kevin Manning was seen at his best when weaving through traffic to guide New Approach to victory in the 2008 Derby for Jim Bolger. The recently-retired rider believes there could be another Irish-trained winner of the £1.5 million prize in 2024, though not necessarily market leader City Of Troy.

“I think Los Angeles could be the one,” said Manning. “It’s not that he needs soft ground, but you know that he should cope with any ease that might be there, and he stays very well. I thought he was a good winner of the Derby Trial at Leopardstown last time.

“It’s a very open year for a Derby but he’s the one who keeps coming back to me and if I could ride any of them, it’d have to be him.”

Lordan chance

Emmet McNamara recorded the biggest success of his career when causing a 25/1 upset on front runner Serpentine in the 2020 Derby for Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners.

The RTÉ Racing pundit also has plenty of time for this year’s Ballydoyle second-string, ridden by Wayne Lordan.

McNamara said: “In one way, it’s hard to go against City Of Troy when he’s favourite and would obviously be hard to beat on his two-year-old form. Having said that, I think I’d nearly like to ride Los Angeles. He’s very solid, has done nothing wrong - winning all three of his starts - and I think he looks the type of horse who is made for Epsom, by a former Derby winner in Camelot.

“I saw his last piece of work during the week and he looked in good shape. Ryan [Moore] has to ride City Of Troy with all the talk that has been around him coming into this season, but I think Los Angeles could run a big race.

“After all the injuries that he’s come through in the past year, and with how nice a guy he is, I’ll be roaring on Wayne Lordan in his Derby ride too.”