EPSOM DERBY NEWS:JAN VERMEER has hardened as favourite for Saturday's Epsom Derby after St Nicholas Abbey, his stablemate and long-time market leader, was ruled out of the race yesterday. The impressive Gallinule Stakes winner is 13 to 8 with totesport, having leapt to the head of the betting at around 2 to 1 after a prolonged gamble over the last few days.

St Nicholas Abbey had not shown his usual sparkle in a workout on Friday and then yesterday trainer Aidan O’Brien revealed the colt had suffered a slight muscle injury in a hind quarter. “St Nicholas Abbey was due to work first thing this morning, however, when he came out of his box we noticed he was stiff behind,” the Ballydoyle trainer said.

“He had looked slightly stiff yesterday evening. His work on Friday last was a little lacklustre for him and that was the first time we had seen anything different, but he was fine afterwards.

“He was immediately examined and scanned by our vets this morning. They found a slight muscle injury high up in his hind quarter. This meant he could not work today and we were advised to give him an easy few days.

“Obviously this will preclude him from running in the Derby on Saturday. We always thought St Nicholas Abbey could walk on water and it is very unfortunate for all concerned to have a setback like this so close to the big race.”

St Nicholas Abbey’s defection was branded by bookmakers William Hill as a “£3 million €3.6m) body-blow to punters”. Hills spokesman David Hood said: “St Nicholas Abbey had been the long-time favourite for the Derby ever since his win in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last October. Of course, ante-post liabilities are only a fraction of what is incurred on the day, but we estimate that punters would already have stood to win in excess of £3 million across the industry.”

O’Brien still has four other entries including Cape Blanco, but Coral have removed the Dante winner from the betting following reports he is more likely to head to Chantilly for the French Derby on Sunday.

In other Epsom news, Kieren Fallon has been booked to ride Godolphin’s Al Zir. The six-times champion looked set to be without a ride as his retained trainer, Luca Cumani, does not have a runner while he was unlikely to pick up another spare ride for former boss O’Brien.

Fallon rode one of the Ballydoyle outsiders, Viscount Nelson, in the 2000 Guineas earlier this year but with O’Brien’s options decreasing, Godolphin have swooped to secure his services.

Al Zir finished ninth in the Guineas and with Frankie Dettori aboard first-choice Rewilding and Ahmed Ajtebi on the surprise supplementary entry Buzzword, the Racing Post Trophy third will have Fallon’s assistance in the saddle.

Al Zir is as big as 33 to 1 for Derby glory. Fallon has won the Derby three times on Oath, Kris Kin and North Light.

Meanwhile, trainer Mark Tompkins is hoping there will be plenty of pace on for his Chester Vase winner Ted Spread. “He’s won his trial so you’ve got to go there. He’s always shown me he’s a nice horse,” he said.

“He’s been fine and has sharpened up since Chester. Darryll (Holland) gave him a great ride and it taught him a lot. He’s quite a big horse and is very relaxed. It did him a bit of good. I hope there will be some pace. Maybe one of Aidan’s will lead and Bullet Train might go on as well, but the quicker they go the better it will suit him. He’ll definitely stay.

“We need more rain. I hope Mr (Andrew) Cooper, the clerk of the course, will put plenty of water on and I’m sure it will be brilliant ground for everybody.”

Michael Hills, who will replace the injured Holland on Saturday, admitted being pleasantly surprised when he sat on Ted Spread for the first time. “I rode him work on Friday. Basically, it was a routine piece of work for him to get a feel of me and me to get a feel of him,” he said.

“I was actually surprised how much speed he had. I had spoken to Darryll and he said to me that he really wakes up on the track and he will show quite a bit of speed, which is really handy for the first part of the race to get the position you ideally want.

“Chester’s a great place to bring them on and if they can go round there they should be fine at Epsom.”