Two classics of the flat racing season down, three to go: that can mean only one thing – it’s time for the ever-popular Investec Epsom Festival.
As ever, we’ve got two days of top punting action to enjoy, starting with Ladies Day on Friday June 3 and culminating in Derby Day on the following Saturday. A packed card ensures that all in attendance and the millions watching at home can enjoy a weekend of top notch racing.
The standouts of the meeting are naturally The Oaks on Friday and The Derby on Saturday; two races which fully justify their ‘classic’ tag.
The Oaks Betting Preview
Dating back to 1779, it’s fair to say that The Oaks is a race with plenty of history attached to it. This 1m 4f stretch is open to three-year-old fillies only, and with the going expected to be good this weekend at Epsom we can predict a fast pace from the outset; particularly with the likes of Minding and Skiffle in the field.
This renewal has a habit of serving up some quality operators who use this race as a springboard to a fine career; as recently as 2014 Taghrooda triumphed here before winning another big one – the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – and finishing third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Those are the kinds of prize that Aidan O’Brien will have in mind for his Irish charge, Minding, as she looks to build on an outstanding early career. All seven of her starts have yielded an each way return, and with four wins in amongst those it is fair to say that the Smith/Magnier/Tab filly knows how to get the job done. However, defeat in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last time out leaves many wondering how she will cope with this longer stretch.
Of the rest the Godolphin owned Skiffle holds appeal after an impressive victory at Goodwood last time out, while another O’Brien jolly, Somehow, offers plenty of each way value at 10/1 with Ladbrokes. She comes here with back-to-back wins under her belt including an eye-catching triumph over 11f in May.
The Derby
Saturday’s showpiece, naturally, is the ‘richest horse race in Britain’; the Epsom Derby. Another 1m 4f sprint, former winners include Nijinsky, Galileo and last year’s victor, Golden Horn, who triumphed by three lengths. That should give you an indication of the quality needed to win here.
Aidan O’Brien has trained three of the last four Derby winners and five in total, so the Irishman always has to be watched closely at Epsom. And it just so happens that his headline pick here, US Army Ranger, was sired by former winner Galileo! It runs in the family, as they say, and this horse has looked mighty impressive in winning his two outings to date. In his last at Chester he took down the 16/1 hope here, Port Douglas, with consummate ease.
Expect another Smith/Magnier/Tab colt to go close then, and at 11/2 with Betfred what a fanciful little number it is.
US Amy Ranger will face competition from John Gosden’s Wings of Desire, another with a pair of victories to his name, while Sir Michael Stout will be hoping that the Epsom Downs get watered prior to race day in order to grant his charge, Ulysses, a genuine opportunity for honours.
Best of the Rest
Elsewhere on Ladies Day it is Mindurownbusiness who looks the standout pick in a wide open Diomed Stakes – at a handsome 7/1 with William Hill to boot, while Saturday’s first Group 1 renewal, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup, will be as hotly contested as ever.
All eyes will be on Postponement, and it is hard to argue against a horse that has won twice in 2016 under the guidance of new trainer Roger Varian. That said, you can expect Found (4/1, William Hill), with Ryan Moore on board, to put in a great showing having won over 12 furlongs on good ground in the past few months.
