Having already given his verdict on the Derby for GG, but he has also cast his eye on the rest of the card on Saturday. He has five further selections for you to follow on the day.
1:00 Epsom – Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored By Oddschecker) (Group 3) (Fillies & Mares) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Sirona 13/2 1pt WIN
The David Menuisier yard have started the season fairly slowly by their standards, but with an overdue winner on Monday the tide may turn, which instills further confidence for the chances of SIRONA in here.
The daughter of Soldier Hollow was a winner for the column in the Rosemary Stakes last September, suited by the rain and the booking of Ryan Moore, with both factors returning here. She backed that run up with a four lengths second to the progressive Alcantor who won a G3 on reappearance this term before a three lengths fourth in the G2 Bet365 Mile, which stacks up nicely in the context of this race.
She returned this season in the Dahlia Stakes at Goodwood which has been a successful prep for this race in recent years, and she wasn’t seen to best effect when ridden from the front under a keen hold, with the first two home coming from rear. She was also given 3lbs away to the first and second there and a further 16lbs to the second, so her effort can be marked up and given she only just weakened away to be beaten 3/4L, it’s plausible to suggest she’ll come on for that run.
As mentioned, Ryan Moore returns to ride her for the first time since that Newmarket success, and his overall record for the yard reads 23-7-8 (£16.83).
Epsom Derby Preview – Matty Sutcliffe Has His Say On Horse Racing’s Ultimate Glory
Sporting greatness is defined by achieving success at the pinnacle of the competitive echelon. For football, it is the World Cup or the Ballon d’Or for the individuals, in golf it is that illustrious green jacket, tennis prestige is synonymous with Wimbledon, and ice hockey has the heralded Stanley Cup. Horse Racing’s glory is succeeding…
Wed 04 Jun 20251:35 Epsom – Betfred Diomed Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Cairo 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
The obvious play in here would be Docklands, but it’s rather concerning that his record above handicap level is 0-9, for all he has bumped into several classy rivals. Persica is clear second favourite though is 5lbs worse off with Docklands, and while he is a course winner, that came over 1m2f and this distance might just catch him out. The form of the German gelding doesn’t appear strong enough to beat that pair and on a line through the horse he beat last time out then Brave Emperor is overpriced at 25/1, then we get down to some fairly exposed types.
The one who looks slightly overpriced is CAIRO, who only has 3lbs to find with the favourite on ratings and comes out officially second best at the weights. The Quality Road gelding has been highly tried throughout his career after a two lengths second to Paddington in the Irish 2000 Guineas two years ago, but has amassed a fair amount of prize money (367k) in the process.
He was switched to the Alice Haynes yard from Coolmore last season and ran a fair second in listed company on yard debut to a subsequent G3 winner, before looking out of his depth in the Queen Anne. He bounced back with a 1/2L second in a competitive conditions stakes at Goodwood to one now rated 111, finishing a short head in front of the 116 rated My Prospero for all that one reversed the form with ease in a G3 at Windsor next time out.
He had an impressive campaign in Meydan over the winter with form figures of 2626, and he returned to these shores last month to put in his best effort yet for the yard (1lbs below his career best RPR of 113) when beat a length by The Foxes. He split rivals rated 115 and 113 there, and the third has already come out and won in Listed company.
The drop back in trip on a track like Epsom will suit, and if building on that last effort then I’d have him no higher than a 5/1 shot in here with the first time visor equipped to eke out further improvement.
2:10 Epsom – Betfred 3YO ‘Dash’ Handicap (Class 3) (3yo 0-95) – Blinky 10/1 1pt WIN + Glorious Kitty 16/1 0.5pt EW 5 places
BLINKY was unsuited by being slowly away from stall one at Chester last time out, immediately losing five lengths to Ruby’s Profit who was massively favoured by making all, along with the winner Redorange who had the perfect box sit in second and was able to pick the leader off just before the line. Blinky stayed on well for a clear third there to be beaten just under two lengths by Ruby’s Profit, who franked the form next time out and will struggle to overcome a 9lbs swing with Blinky.
That Chester contest threw up the winner of the 3yo Dash last season with Blue Storm who was 4th, and if breaking on terms then it’s tricky to envisage him not being a player in the finish with his record in the cheek-pieces reading 2113 thus far.
The other is a tentative selection given the unfortunate draw in stall one, but stall one was able to grab fifth in this contest in 2023 and stall three finished second, so provided GLORIOUS KITTY can either get out sharply or tuck in early toward the centre of the field then it may prove sufficient enough.
It’s hard not to play her regardless, as off a mark of 75 she’s thrown in. She made her debut in the Listed Marygate Stakes at York last season, beaten a length at 40/1 behind a trio who’re now rated 89, 97 and 100. She also had Ruby’s Profit six lengths in behind her there, and has an 18lbs swing with the favourite.
Something was evidently amiss next time out when beaten sixteen lengths, and while we can’t always equate two year old form to three, it was pleasing to see her make a promising return to action at Wolverhampton in March when beaten a length having faded in the last 110 yards after making all, and the second is now rated 91 after a win and a four length sixth in Listed company.
On all known form, she has to be better than a mark of 75 and while overcoming stall one is admittedly a big task, the drop back to five furlongs should suit and she’s has to be worth a play at the prices.
5:40 Epsom – JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-105) – Purest Time 22/1 1pt EW 4 places
Ian Williams’ record in course handicaps over the last five seasons reads 48-8-20 (£12.08+), and he tends to target this particular race. He’s had four horses run in it in the last ten renewals, in 2023 he had Night On Earth well beaten in last but that one was wildly regressive having had to drop 17lbs from then to win his next race, in 2021 he won the race with Ejtilaab, who prepped at Chester over 7F prior to winning, in 2019 he had the third with Squats who joined that yard over the winter, and was down the field in his prep run at Ascot, and his first win in the race came in 2018 with Aces, who was also a new addition to the yard, and was gelded prior to a prep run as Ascot before landing the contest.
PUREST TIME is very similar to that quartet in multiple regard, as he’s a new acquisition, has been gelded and had a prep run at Chester over seven furlongs. While he was beaten six lengths into seventh, he was drawn in stall thirteen of thirteen and immediately dropped in rear in the manner of one looking ahead to another day.
He came home under hands and heels, but he clocked the second quickest finishing speed percentage (105.74%) suggesting there was plenty left in the tank given he split the first and thirds in that respect, and we can only upgrade the effort given it was his first start in 204 days.
His mark of 95 is tricky to assess, but he did land a 23k handicap (104 RPR) on the G1 Prix Jean Prat card at Deauville last July, and his Wokingham/Bunbury Cup entries suggest they think plenty of him.
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