Andrew Mount has four best bets for your Friday, which features the 247th running of the Epsom Oaks. In the fillies’ Classic, Andrew has a 66/1 selection for you to follow…
Back his selections with Dabble’s incredible new customer offer of £10 In Free Bets – No Deposit Required.
Posted: 4:58pm, Thursday, June 5th
3.00 Thirsk – CAPTAIN VALLO (0.5pt e/w – 12/1 bet365& & 1pt top-4 finish (no prices yet)
CAPTAIN VALLO has won just once from 26 starts on turf but he can usually be relied upon to run his race at Thirsk where his record (in reverse order) reads…
3rd of 13 (100-30)
4th of 13 (7-1)
2nd of 9 (22-1)
3rd of 13 (15-2)
4th of 12 (6-1)
3rd of 15 (14-1)
4th of 15 (25-1)
…with a short-priced favourite and most firms paying four places he looks worth an each-way and place-only punt.
3.15 Epsom – BOTANICAL (1pt e/w – 9/2 William Hill, Bet365, BetVictor – all paying four places)
Roger Varian’s DEFIANCE is of obvious interest in this 1m2f handicap as his handler is four from four in this race since 2014 (with the winners at 14-1, 13-2, 11-4 and 5-4) but I’d rather side with George Boughey’s BOTANICAL, who will relish the cut in the ground. The five-year-old has failed to score in three runs for his current yard since leaving Roger Varian’s care but those runs came at Listed level and he was only beaten by a nose in the first of them (1m2f, heavy). He caught the eye on his return to action at Doncaster on Lincoln day, doing too much too soon into the headwind on what was his first run since a wind operation, and the return to Polytrack didn’t suit last time. His record in handicap company reads 3112 (2-4), with the latest defeat in a 20-runner contest at York, and Ryan Moore takes the ride. The cheekpieces go on for the first time today – a positive angle for the yard’s handicappers
4.00 Epsom – GO GO BOOTS (1pt e/w – 66/1 Coral, Ladbrokes, 50/1 generally)
GO GO BOOTS was only third to WHIRL (a 9-2 shot here) when 9-1 for the Musidora Stakes at York last time but that was her turf debut, and the fast ground was probably not ideal for the daughter of Night Of Thunder. John and Thady Gosden’s filly was two from two on the all-weather prior to that effort and she’s third best on last time out speed according to Proform’s figures. Backing her sire’s Flat runners on ground with cut in it (a Proform going adjustment of 0.5 or lower) would have found 189 winners from 1070 bets (17.7% strike-rate) for a profit of £108.86 to a £1 level stake at SP (expected winners = 165.48, A/E = 1.14) and she’s worth an each-way punt at a huge price.
8.25 Doncaster – KATS BOB (1pt win – 8/1 bet365)
KATS BOB won his first four starts after leaving Iain Jardine for Ruth Carr and had excuses when denied a five-timer at Pontefract where he finished fourth of seven as the 13-8 favourite. He was always prominent in a race set up for the closers that day (the winner and runner-up were described as “midfield” and “dwelt start in rear”) and he did second best of the prominent racers. Third-placed Kodiac Thriller, who made the running, comfortably landed a Class 4 handicap at odds of 15-2 at Thirsk next time and has since made the frame in Class 2 company at York. Kats Bob was beaten on his next start but that was at Carlisle where he raced on the ‘dead’ inside rail and his 14-1 third was worthy of an upgrade (he was also hampered). His trainer is in fantastic form, and he can bounce back tonight.
Join our 20k+ subscribers to receive the latest horse racing news, offers, and expert tips directly in your inbox — 100% free!
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
3.00 Thirsk – CAPTAIN VALLO (0.5pt e/w – 12/1 bet365& & 1pt top-4 finish (no prices yet)
3.15 Epsom – BOTANICAL (1pt e/w – 9/2 William Hill, Bet365, BetVictor – all paying four places)
4.00 Epsom – GO GO BOOTS (1pt e/w – 66/1 Coral, Ladbrokes, 50/1 generally)
8.25 Doncaster – KATS BOB (1pt win – 8/1 bet365)
Andrew Mount’s Horse Racing Tips – Friday, 6th June
Andrew’s Angles – Epsom Handicap Pointers to Help You Through the Derby Meeting
Today’s column takes a look at the vital trends and stats for the Derby meeting at Epsom on Saturday (I’ll re-visit Royal Ascot next week). I’ve concentrated on the supporting handicap races – you don’t need me to tell you that Aidan O’Brien has a good record in the big race! 2.45 – 5f Aston…
Tue 03 Jun 2025Looking For More Racing Info? Check Out Our Racecards & Top Tips Sections
Make sure you’re following us on all our social media platforms to keep up to date with all the latest horse racing news and the best tips.