After impressively winning the Group 2 Dante Stakes on the Knavesmire at York on Thursday, Bonfire has been installed as a best priced 8/1 second favourite to win the Epsom Derby. His win also makes him, for many at least, the only credible opponent to Camelot to claim the Blue Riband Classic, which takes place on June 2^nd .

His participation in the Derby will be the first from an Andrew Balding trained horse but there are plenty of punters that will remember Casual Look, his first ever runner in the Epsom Oaks, who went on to win the race in 2003. Older punters will also remember the great Mill Reef, trained by Balding’s father, Ian, who won the Derby in 1971 before going on to win the ‘Arc de Triomphe’ four months later.

In the Dante, Bonfire certainly confirmed the class he was always thought to have after he was a very unlucky third in the Group 1 Criterium International last October at Saint-Cloud as a juvenile. The word from the stable earlier this season had been that he had progressed extremely nicely from 2 to 3 over the winter and that he was always going to be a genuine Derby contender.

Despite drifting in the market from 5/2 favouritism to 3/1 beforehand, Bonfire travelled extremely well at York with jockey Jimmy Fortune tucking him behind the Aidan O’Brien entry Ernest Hemingway who set a very strong gallop. Ernest Hemingway went off as the 11/4 favourite but he was no match for Bonfire or for the second placed Ektihaam when it came to the run in. Fading very tamely, he finished in last place of the seven runners, leaving only the strong travelling Ektihaam to mount any sort of challenge. However,  he failed to get in a blow, going down by ¾ length to the winner with Fencing from the John Gosden stable a further four lengths back in third place. As a result, Bonfire was slashed in price from 10/1 in to 5/1 clear second favourite to win the Derby behind the warm order jolly, Camelot, who is as short as 8/11 following his 2,000 Guineas win.

Ektihaam’s run pleased trainer, Roger Varian but he is unlikely to persuade owner, Hamdan Al Maktoum to have him supplemented for Epsom suggesting that the French Derby is possibly a more suitable target for the colt.

The Dante Stakes has been an excellent trial and guide for the Derby, particularly in recent years which has seen three winners of the race go on and win the Epsom Colt’s Classic. Additionally, Workforce from the Sir Michael Stoute finished second in the race in 2010 and then went to win the Derby and the Arc de Triomphe, while his conqueror in the Dante, Cape Blanco went on to win the Irish Derby. 

It was a hugely impressive performance from this son of Montjeu when winning the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy on his final run of last season, which saw him installed the favourite for this race the word from Ballydoyle is that Camelot has matured beautifully over the Winter and will come to Newmarket in top form for his seasonal debut.

He is one of three Ballydoyle trained entries in the race, the other two being Power and Furner’s Green. Power has very decent claims in his own right having won the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh as a 2 year old and the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Second places behind La Collina in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over 6 furlongs and a ½ length second behind Parish Hall in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes over 7 furlongs at Newmarket last October show that as a juvenile he was vulnerable but he was also unlucky in both of those races. He should be good enough to reverse that form with Parish Hall over a mile on Saturday.

There has been plenty of interest expressed in the John Oxx trained, Born To Sea, in the antepost market, a half brother to the great Sea The Stars, winner of this race in 2009 and who went on to win the Derby and the Arc de Triomphe later that season. Yet to race this season, this son of Invincible Spirit won a Listed race on soft ground on his racecourse debut over 6 furlongs at the Curragh last September but was narrowly beaten on his last start by Nephrite in a Group 3 over 7 furlongs at Leopardstown.

There are also positives regarding the chances of Roger Charlton’s, Top Offer, winner of his only start to date when a juvenile last August. He has been impressing on the gallops and the trainer is known to be very keen on his chances.

It would seem that the likes of Trumpet Major, impressive winner of the recent Craven Stakes who is trained by Richard Hannon, would have something to extra to find to win the race. Parish Hall, Power, Most Improved and Bronterre all finished in front of him in the Dewhurst Stakes last October and they all oppose him again in this. 

There could be as many as three French Raiders lining up on Saturday afternoon with Abtaal, French Fifteen and Hermival all entered to make the trip across the Channel. The three ran against each other last month in the Group 3 Prix Djebel over 7 furlongs at Maisons–Laffite where French Fifteen came out on top a neck clear of Abtaal, who stumbled on the run in to the line. Hermival was 1½ lengths back in third place but was staying on and would have relished the extra furlong that he will get on Saturday.

There are plenty others in with chances too but all things considered it looks like it will be a cracking Classic with Camelot seemingly the one for them all to beat. Whichever horse wins let us hope that it will be won by another superstar in the same mould as last year’s winner, Frankel and of course Sea The Stars in 2009.

This was clearly the case 12 months ago when Frankel opened up his three year old campaign by bolting up here winning by four lengths from the Marco Botti outsider Excelebration. He went on to trounce all comers in the Guineas and in every other race he entered last year and the question this year is whether the Greenham can provide the springboard for another superstar in 2012?

Other notable winners of this race in the past include the legendary Mill Reef in 1971 who went on to win both the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe all in the same season. He of course could only manage second place in the Guineas behind the equally legendary Brigadier Gerard who, can still claim to be the greatest miler ever produced in this country but depending on how Frankel bounces back from his injury scare this season, that honour could be in jeopardy. Wollow was an exceptional Greenham winner in 1976, he too went on to win the 2000 Guineas plus a whole host of Group 1 races such as the Eclipse, the Sussex Stakes and the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (now the Juddmonte International Stakes). Kris, winner in 1979 went on to be second in the Guineas but avenged that defeat by Tap On Wood by beating him in the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot before going on to record win five more Group 1 races. He is also the Sire of the great Oh So Sharp, the last Triple Crown winner, who took the 1000 Guineas, the Epsom Oaks and the St Leger in 1985.

In addition to Frankel, more recent winners of the race who have gone on to enjoy careers in Group company on the flat include Dick Turpin (2010), Paco Boy (2008) and Red Clubs in 2007.

This year, it is likely that the Roger Charlton trained Top Offer, who races in the same Khalid Abdullah colours as Frankel, will go off favourite. In his only start to date last August when a juvenile he impressively won his maiden over Saturday's course and distance. In that race he came from the back of the pack with blistering speed to win by over three lengths going away. If he has Wintered well as the stable say he has, then he will surely be the one to beat and currently rates a 5/1 chance in the 2000 Guineas betting.

The John Gosden trained Fencing will also line up on Saturday and although probably needing the run, he should be good enough to be in the mix. Last seen trailing in third place 2½ lengths behind Camelot in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy over a mile last October, this son of Street Cry could even get back to winning ways if he goes well fresh. He is certainly going well on the gallops according to reports and should he run a big race here then his 2000 Guineas hopes will soar and the current 20/1 about him winning the first classic will be long gone.

Tales Of Grimm from the Sir Michael Stoute yard is another with one career start to his name, winning his maiden at odds of 25/1, over course and distance last August on the same card as Top Offer. The Stoute stable of course was out of sorts for most of last season so the win might have been a seriously good performance, albeit coming when only up against modest company. The Stoute stable are yet to find the winners enclosure this season but they have hit the crossbar on several occasions with all but one of seven of their three year old runners with a run so far, finishing placed and Tales of Grimm is probably best watched but it would be no surprise if he made his presence felt.

The recommendation though is snap up the 20/1 about Tales of Grimm to win the 2000 Guineas, you only need to wait two weeks for a return and a promising run at Newbury, even if he doesn't win should but him in good order ahead of the Newmarket showpiece.

This means that it will be Gordon Elliott’s Roi Du Mee that will carry top weight of 11-07, with The Midnight Club, also from the Mullins stable on 11-04 and Magnanimity from the Dessie Hughes stable on 11-02.

Down the years, those horses at the top of the handicap for the Irish Grand National have struggled, with the last winner to carry more than 11 stone come back in the year 2000 when the Ted Walsh Commanche Court was ridden to victory by son, Ruby. Flashing Steel in 1995 and Desert Orchid in 1990 are the last two winners of the race to carrying the maximum 12 stone but by and large, recent winners have carried between 10st and 10-08, with last year’s winner, Organisedconfusion, carrying a mere 9-13.

Organisedconfusion in fact was one of 18 defectors at this year's six day stage, with other notables out of the race including Psycho, Giles Cross and Welsh National winner, Le Beau Bai who will all have one eye on next week's Aintree Grand National.

Heading a very competitive betting market is Four Commanders, last seen finishing third in the National Hunt Chase over 4m at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Trained by Mouse Morris, the six year old is rated a 10/1 with the sponsors, Ladbrokes, with other firms as short as 8/1 and the drop back in trip from 4 miles to 3m 5f could suit him at Fairyhouse. It should be noted however that six year olds do not have a great record in the race with only one winning since Rhyme ‘n’ Reason in 1985 and that came 12 months ago when Organisedconfusion landed the spoils.

Others competing for favouritism include Groody Hill trained by Christy Roche for JP McManus; another six year who looks to be heading in the right direction and looks reasonably treated for his hat trick of wins earlier in the season which came to a halt when finishing a respectable third in the 26 runner Paddy power Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting. Cross Appeal from the Noel Meade stable is also well fancied in the betting after finsihign 1 1/4 lengths infront of Groody Hill in the Paddy Power Chase where he was getting 7lb, that deficit has been cut to just 2lb so there's every chance the form could be reversed.

Alfie Sherrin, also owned by JP McManus but trained by Jonjo O’Neill is another that comes in to the race in great form following his win in the 3m1f Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month and provided that effort didn't take too much out of him, he looks well handicapped on that run and the fact he's making the trip across the Irish Sea has to be considered a positive. He is only one of two British Raiders in the race, the other being the Nicky Henderson trained Aigle D’Or, who is a 16/1 shot with the sponsors but makes little appeal with just one win to his name in four years.

Jockey Tony McCoy who won this race in 2007 on Butlers Cabin for the O’Neill/McManus partnership will have the pick of Groody Hill and Alfie Sherrin so whichever he decides to ride will no doubt go off favourite or close to it come Monday afternoon.

As always, the Irish National looks a wide open affair but the one preferred Alfie Sherrin, who impressed at Cheltenham and it's worth taking a risk at odds as big as 14/1 that he'll have recovered from those exerts following a four week break and  the extra three furlongs at Fairyhouse could well bring about further improvement.

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