King of Rome favourite for 2008 Epsom Derby

King of Rome is rapidly emerging as the favourite for this weekend’s Classic highlight, the Vodafone Epsom Derby. King of Rome was chosen by veteran Derby jockey Johnny Murtagh on a day that saw his odds contract from 20-1 to 12-1 with William Hill.

King of Rome will be running for Aidan O’Brien, who will field another four runners in the season’s biggest Classic.

O’Brien confirmed his runners and their riders at a press conference yesterday, saying: “Johnny will be on King Of Rome, Mick rides Frozen Fire and David McCabe will be on Bashkirov. Seamie Heffernan and Colm O’Donoghue will be our other Derby jockeys but it will be tomorrow before we decide which of them rides Washington Irving or Alessandro Volta.”

Meanwhile Jim Bolger has continued to dither about which of his horses will be appearing in the Classics this year, making a late statement that New Approach would be running at the 2008 Epsom Derby after having categorically denied that his runner would be seen in a hundred mile radius of Epsom Downs on Derby day.

New Approach finished as runner-up at both of the season’s early Classics, the 2,000 Guineas and the Irish 2,000 Guineas, losing out to Henrythenavigator on both occasions. Bolger had claimed that he’d prefer to run New Approach at the Irish Derby in two weeks rather than risk his runner on the firm ground at Epsom Downs racecourse.