A Classic Saturday on this famous Platinum Jubilee weekend that hosts the 243rd running of the Epsom Derby, fittingly run in the memory of nine-time winning jockey Lester Piggott who sadly passed away early this week.
It is a cracking card at Epsom with plenty of runners and a couple of betting opportunities.
2.00 EPSOM – MR BIG STUFF
At first glance the opener at Epsom looks mightily competitive. Being honest, it does at second and third glance too, but MR BIG STUFF really caught my eye when unlucky in running at Newbury in the London Gold Cup, one of the hottest 3yo handicaps of the year. He was staying on late when hampered and although may not have won, he would have been a lot closer. The handicapper has edged him up 1lb but that looks far from the ceiling of his ability and with Tyler Heard claiming 5lb he looks very well treated here. If getting the breaks this time, he should take plenty of beating.
His previous Nottingham second worked out when the winner won again at York’s Dante meeting so all looks in place for a huge effort here.
Blue Trail was third when favourite for another warm contest, the Esher Cup six weeks ago, and will be popular, while War Horse beat Nolton Cross and Grenoble in a small field at the same track a fortnight ago and all could have a say.
2.35 EPSOM – MRS FITZHERBERT
There are interlinking form lines at the head of the market for the group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
Potapova just failed to reel in Roman Mist at Kempton in a listed contest and will appreciate the longer straight this time. She is yet to truly fulfil her potential on her debut showing (she ran in a Group 1 on third start) and is fancied to reverse the form.
The other form line sees Bashkirova and MRS FITZHERBERT renew rivalry from the Goodwood clash five weeks ago. The latter picked up the former in the closing stages on a track not too dissimilar to Epsom, and there appeared to be no excuses. MRS FITZHERBERT is twice the price now and they meet on the same terms with the slight extra distance looking likely to suit. Hughie Morrison keeps faith with young George Rooke too as he is three from three aboard her and she can’t go unbacked with her improving profile another positive.
3.45 EPSOM – FINE WINE
If ever horse looked tailor made for a contest, it would be FINE WINE going for the Epsom Dash. He was electric when hosing up at York three weeks ago by three lengths. He has been whacked up 9lb by the handicapper but with the runner-up Raasel going in at listed level at Haydock last week, the form has an extra solid look to it.
It will be his first start at Epsom but he was away on the ‘B’ of the bang there and they never saw which way he went. It could be a similar story on one of the fastest tracks in the world and he is taken to defy the rise.
The locally trained Live In The Dream is bidding for a hat-trick for Adam West after easy wins at Sandown and Chester but has gone up a total of 15lb for those wins and needs to defy the poor record of 3yo’s in this contest.
4.30 EPSOM – See Derby A-Z
*18+ | BeGambleAware
