Power play: Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's special horse Bangkok bids to make owners proud in the Derby at Epsom If Bangkok wins Investec Derby at Epsom, the victory will be tinged with sadness The man who should have been leading colt to winner's enclosure will be absent Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in helicopter crash in OctoberBy Marcus Townend For The Mail On Sunday Published: 22:30 BST, 25 May 2019 | Updated: 22:30 BST, 25 May 2019 Viewcomments 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. If Bangkok wins next Saturday's Investec Derby at Epsom, the win will be tinged with sadness 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 of horses. He was involved in the purchasing of them. This is very much his legacy, the horses racing now. He bought and named them. That is why it is extra special that Bangkok has got the best name of all of them. He must have found something special in Bangkok to name him that.' Balding was the first trainer that King Power Racing employed — their 100-horse string is now spread across eight trainers — and he remains their major trainer with 38 horses. The partnership was forged after Leicester's director of football John Rudkin made an appointment to visit the Kingsclere stable. Man who should have been leading colt to winner's enclosure will be absent - Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (centre) Balding recalled: 'John rang the office to make an appointment but we did not know what it was for. We did not know who he was or the possible implications. I was lucky they were looking for trainers and he liked the look of Kingsclere.' The day of Srivaddhanaprabha's fatal crash, his horses had won big races at Doncaster and Newbury. But the real fruits of a first major investment at the yearling sales of around £20million in 2016 is only now being reaped. Bangkok, a son of 2014 Derby winner Australia, who cost £525,000, and Sir Michael Stoute-trained Queen Power, a daughter of Shamardal with an identical price tag who could run in Friday's Investec Oaks, were among a clutch of acquisitions bought to hopefully develop into Classic contenders. Despite being beaten three times last year, Balding always believed Bangkok was special. He started this season with a sparkling defeat of subsequent Dante Stakes winner Telecaster at Doncaster, before landing the Sandown Classic Trial. Balding added: 'Bangkok was in a group of five or six we hoped might develop into Derby horses but was a little immature last year. 'It is obvious in every piece of work he has done that he has got a little bit of extra acceleration from what I have been used to dealing with in middle-distance horses.' The name Balding cannot be mentioned in conjunction with the Derby without that of Mill Reef, the influential 1971 Derby winner trained by his father, Ian. At the family Kingsclere base there is a yard named after Mill Reef as well as yards commemorating two other famous residents and winners of racing's Triple Crown — the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger — from the 19th century, Ormonde and Flying Fox. Balding joked: 'It sets the bar quite high.' He may just have found the right colt to make the leap. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility