No sponsor for Derby!

Investec to sponsor all but one of Epsom's races


NEW Derby meeting sponsor Investec has added its name directly to all but one of the races at the meeting.

The sole exception is the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, which will carry a bracketed reference to the specialist banking service.

Investec head of global marketing Raymond van Niekerk said: "We may use other brands in the race titles in future, but since we have come into the sponsorship at a fairly late stage, we felt it was best to get our own name across quite prominently."

O'Brien Derby pair pushed out by Hills

WILLIAM Hill has downgraded last Thursday's Totesport.com Dante as the traditional leading Investec Derby trial by pushing out the Aidan O'Brien pair Black Bear Island and Freemantle who dominated the finish.

The last-to-first winner Black BearIsland is out a point to 9-1 third favourite while frontrunning runner-up Freemantle is 14-1 from 10-1.

The traditionally strong York trial has already lost a potential Derby runner with the third Sans Frontieres bypassing the race for Royal Ascot and fourth-placed Kite Wood was also eased by Hills to 20-1 from 16-1.

Positive betting moves were thin on the ground, especially with Golden Jubilee contender Takeover Target bombing in Singapore and Gold Cup hope Coastal Path flopping at Lonchamp.

The latter's misfortune saw Patkai harden as Ascot Gold Cup favourite, into 2-1 from 9-4 with Cora