sport news Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's special horse bids to make owners proud in Derby

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If Bangkok wins next Saturday's Investec Derby at Epsom, the victory will be tinged with sadness.

That is because the man who should have been leading his colt back to the winner's enclosure will be absent.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the billionaire Thai businessman whose investment propelled Leicester from a Championship side to their unlikely 2015-16 Premier League title success, had set his sights on similarly shaking up racing's established order with his King Power Racing venture.

That was why his death in a helicopter crash in October sent shock waves across the racing world as well as the football community.

Results on the track have taken a leap forward — King Power already have 23 on the board and are well on the way to overhauling last year's tally of 42 wins in Britain.

Vichai's four children have largely been absent from the track so far this summer, but youngest son Aiyawatt — known by his nickname Top — was at Ascot last month and the family, who are expected at Epsom to watch the £1.5million showpiece, seem keen to preserve their late father's racing legacy.

Now the most coveted prize in Flat racing is tantalisingly close with a colt the man still referred to as 'The Chairman' picked out, naming him after the capital of his homeland. Andrew Balding, who trains the 8-1 chance, said: 'He was an amazing man, competitive in the nicest way. Whatever he did, he wanted to aspire to be the best.

'That's why he did not mess around when he decided he was going to build a string

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