by Renee Israel
This year's Epsom Derby will be held on Saturday, June 2 at the Epsom Downs
Racecourse, and will boast the most VIP of guests in the form of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II.
It is anyway an important event in the British horse racing calendar, but
this year even more so because Her Majesty will be gracing the event as a part
of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. To win on such an occasion would be a proud
moment for every jockey, trainer, owner and horse.
The ante post odds for the 2012 Epsom Derby are already up
at the popular UK online sports betting sites. Camelot is the odds on favourite
for winning this race. He already has the 2,000 Guineas under his belt and with
a name that evokes images of royalty, he would be an appropriate winner.
Camelot's Irish champion trainer Adrian O'Brien has been planning
meticulously for this race and has reported that everything is going well. He
has described Camelot as "one of those very special horses" who "is very
relaxed, very straightforward and very calm but has a lot of nervous energy".
It will not be lost on Epsom Derby betting fans that O'Brien has gone ten
years without an Epsom Derby winner. He last won the epic race in 2002 with High
Chaparral and the year before with Galileo.
Bonfire to Challenge Camelot in Epsom Derby
The biggest challenge to the unbeaten Camelot may come from Bonfire, a highly
strung horse that has been described as a cross between a juvenile delinquent
and Hannibal Lecter. However, trainer Andrew Balding prefers to call this an
individualistic streak. Balding will be looking for his maiden Epsom Derby win.
The Epsom Derby is the original Derby. It is Britain's richest horse race and
is the most prestigious of the five Classics. The 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby
and the St Ledger form the British Triple Crown. First run in 1780, the race has
been named after the 12th Earl of Derby.
Online Betting on the 2012 Epsom Derby
Bet365 is one of the popular online betting sites that have posted betting
odds for the 2012 Epsom Derby. The race is listed as the 2012 Investec Derby
based on its current sponsors. The odds offered at Bet365 online are on No
Runner No Bet basis, which means that if the backed horse is scratched from the
race the bettors are returned the stakes. The odds for the contenders for the
2012 Epsom Derby are as follows at Bet365 online.
2012 Epsom Derby Winner Odds at Bet365
Camelot 4/6
Bonfire 9/2
Astrology 10/1
Main Sequence 10/1
Imperial Monarch 12/1
Thought Worthy 25/1
Mickdaam 33/1
Father of Science 40/1
Rugged Cross 40/1
Tower Rock 50/1
Cavaleiro 50/1
Minimise Risk 66/1
