Vanessa Ryle: Back Eydon to take his place in Derby history books

The Epsom Derby still tops the list as the most coveted prize in horse racing and it's the one race of the flat year that does remain somewhere in the public consciousness - even if it's not quite as prominent as it once was.

It's the history of the Derby that makes it so special, the names that grace the roll of honour from the past and the stories that go with them. This year, more than any, is about heritage, as the past poignantly connects to the present with the race now being run in memory of Lester Pigott who had an affiliation with the Derby, and indeed Epsom, like no other rider.

Eydon hails from rich history

Eighteen colts are set to head to post in a bid to add their name to the record books and each and every one of them has their own back story. But in terms of a rich racing history, Roger Varian's Eydon may well top them all when looking into where he has come from.

Owned by Prince Faisal, the Feilden Stakes winner is a homebred out of a mare they bred from a granddam they brought at the sales back in 2002. However, the real history books come into play when you research the colt's name. Eydon is a very picturesque village in South Northamptonshire and just on the outskirts of the village, perched on top of a hill, with beautiful views of the surrounding areas, is Eydon Hall.

Eydon Hall was the home of racehorse owner and breeder Gerald Leigh from the early 1980s to his passing in 2002. In that time Leigh bred eight individual Group 1 winners on that farm in Eydon and they included the likes of Gossamer, Barathea, Markofdistinction and Bosra Sham.

Those top-flight thoroughbreds were born and raised on the turf that Leigh famously had tested before he bought Eydon Hall to make sure it was the perfect ground to rear racehorses on.

Eydon Hall now belongs to tech giant and multi-millionaire Christopher Stamper but the land around the property is now the home of Prince Faisal's own bloodstock interest thanks to racing manager Ted Voute who took over the farm back in 2009 as his own Voute Sales operation expanded.

Since then, Voute has based the Prince's breeding operation out of Eydon Hall's park land and in that time they have bred, reared and produced a whole host of top performers including the apple of his owner's eye in Mishriff.

Prince Faisal's breeding lines go back multiple generations and he is known for his hands-on input into the mating plans of his broodmare band as well as supporting stallions he has either bred or raced himself. And that level of interest and passion into breeding high-class racehorses is reminiscent of that same obsession Gerald Leigh had back in the 80s when he also produced homebred heroes and heroines on the Eydon Hall farmland.

If Eydon, the colt by Olden Times, was to win the Derby on Saturday, his victory would add to the impressive tally of Group 1 winners already raised in those perfect paddocks surrounding Eydon Hall and would be a timely reminder of olden times, 20 years on from the passing of the great Gerald Leigh.

Clover's fairytale classic contender

Keeping with the theme of the stories in the Classics this year, the Oaks looks to be an intriguing contest with cases to be made for so many away from the short-priced favourite in Emily Upjohn. Big names and famous colours dominate the betting, making it all the more interesting and indeed important that the field includes a fairytale of sorts in the shape of underdog Rogue Millennium.

Trained by Tom Clover, the Dubawi filly is unbeaten in her two starts, the latest coming in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, and she carries the colours of The Rogues Gallery, a syndicate that has been involved with Clover's yard since he started training and has enjoyed successes on the racecourse, but this shrewd purchase's involvement with a Classic would be by far their biggest day out.

Rogue Millennium's origin is of interest as she was sold unraced at Tattersalls last year from the Shadwell Estate offering after it was announced that the late Sheikh Hamdan's breeding operation was to be cut back. The Shadwell team would be well aware that they were letting future winners be sold in that refining process, but they perhaps wouldn't have expected that the filly they let go for just 35,000gns to Billy Jackson Stopps, would go on to be a Classic contender.

George Boughey, who coincidently trained Rogue Millennium's full-brother to win seven times last term, also trained the Nick Bradley Racing owned Mystery Angel to finish second in the Oaks 12 months ago and in the process flew the flag for syndicate owners at the highest level.

This time around it is great to see a syndicate group back in the race with a live each-way chance for another young trainer really on a roll. Connections will be hopeful history can repeat itself once more - and even go one better this time around.