Ryan Moore: Progressive Lines Of Battle has a chance in the Kentucky Derby

Ryan and Lines Of Battle will be reunited in the Kentucky Derby

Ryan Moore will be at Churchill Downs on Saturday to ride Kentucky Derby outsider Lines Of Battle for Aidan O'Brien. Here he speaks exclusively to Betfair about the progressive colt's chances...

23:24 Churchill Downs - The Kentucky Derby

Lines Of Battle

I sat watching videos of all the runners in this race on Sunday, and I would like to think that I know all the horses pretty well now. Well, at least as I can from afar.

But what I do know for sure is that no European horse has ever won this race. And I don't think many UK-based jockeys have even ridden in the race - there may have been more but I can only think of Pat (Eddery) and Frankie (Dettori) off the top of my head - so I can safely say that myself and Lines Of Battle are up against it here.

And I wouldn't read anything into the fact that my horse has won at Dundalk or Meydan; the dirt of Kentucky is completely different.

But, first things first, I have got a good draw in 11 - if given a choice I would have liked between 8 and 12 - and I have a horse that can jump and travel and that's a big advantage in a 20-runner field.

Maybe, it won't be as frantic as usual, now that they have changed the entry conditions for the race, so we are not getting the 2yo speed horses in here. But it's America's biggest race, so that's probably rubbish and it will probably be no quarter given from start to finish.

But I do like Lines Of Battle. He has a lot to find on Timeform figures - he is 10lb off top-rated Verrazano and is nearer last than first on their ratings - but he did well to do what he did at two, as he was a big horse. And on the evidence of his win in the UAE Derby in March he looks like being a progressive 3yo.

I don't think you can rate that Dubai form highly - they went no pace for starters - but his dirt pedigree gives you hope that he can step up and Aidan knows what he is doing when bringing his horses over here.

He has had a few runners in this race, with Master Of Hounds finishing fifth to Animal Kingdom a couple of years ago, and I would be hopeful of Lines Of Battle running a similar race. Or maybe even better, who knows?

But with 19 horses in opposition, it isn't going to be easy, so I can see why he is rated one of the outsiders.

I like the look of Orb, and his defeat of Itsmyluckyday in the Florida Derby is the best single piece of form in here on my reckoning.

I can see him running a big race under a patient ride, with maybe the step up in trip suiting him too, and Verrazano is another one who likes to stalk the pace early and has strong form claims. His Tampa Derby defeat of Java's War looked even better when the runner-up won the Blue Grass on Polytrack.

Goldencents is a free-going sort who won the Santa Anita Derby well, but I have my doubts about whether he will get home here if there is a strong pace from the start. But Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary has to be respected.

So, as you can see, there are plenty in here with a shot. But Lines Of Battle is one of them.