The horse racing broadcaster picks out five selections from Friday’s card at Epsom, including one in the big race of the day.
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There are five races on ITV’s main channel on Friday, featuring two Group 1’s in the Holland Cooper Coronation Cup for the older horses and the third Classic of the season, the Oaks for the fillies.
First up is the 6f Woodcote, the only race of the two days at Epsom for two-year-olds. I have been making far more of an effort this season to be across the juvenile form and the market seems to have the right three at the top of the market, but END OF STORY
5/1
(14:00 Epsom) appeals as the best value of the trio. His Thirsk debut win has worked out particularly well with the third, fourth and fifth all winning next time out, and he gets the vote over New Charter and Megalithic.
New Charter is an obvious danger, and it is great to see the Cherry Barnett colours being carried at Epsom on Oaks Day just over 40 years since New Charter’s great grandmother, Time Charter, won the Classic. She ran really well on debut when second to the Royal Ascot-bound Mountain Breeze, although was receiving 5lb that day and 6f may prove to be a bare minimum for her. Given she is priced up as favourite, she is passed over. Megalithic looked a potential improver off the back of his Salisbury third but stall 9 is tricky and again he is a shorter price currently than the selection. Kevin Ryan has only saddled seven juveniles at Epsom and two have won, including his very first, Sadeek, who won the Woodcote back in 2006.
ORBAAN
10/1
(14:35 Epsom) has just sneaked into the bottom of this field and has dropped to a very handy mark. Fourth last year off 97, he lines up a full 13lb lower here and both his runs at the track have been good. He will be ridden for luck, a solid pace courtesy of Benacre and Autumn Festival would help and he is versatile as regards the ground.
The first of the Group 1s sees EMILY UPJOHN
6/4
(15:10 Epsom) looking to repeat her impressive success of 12 months ago. She produced a super turn of foot to win that day and can prove too strong for Luxembourg, with a bigger danger possibly being French colt Feed The Flame. Last year’s Grand Prix De Paris winner should appreciate the return to 1m 4f, but Emily Upjohn was an unlucky loser of the Oaks the year before and her ability to handle the track is a major asset.
Back to the handicappers, with BOLSTER
9/2
(15:45 Epsom) looking to make it back-to-back wins since joining Karl Burke this season. An all-the-way winner at Pontefract, he is drawn to get a nice trail in here from stall 3 with a fair amount of pace likely via Killybegs Warrior (wait for July course at Newmarket) and Sweet Reward, who is a regular in the race. Bolster is proven on the ground and the stable are in flying form after their excellent day last Sunday following their 1000 Guineas double in Ireland and Germany. If ridden with a bit more patience, he can repeat the feat.
Finally a real puzzle in an open looking Oaks. Ylang Ylang heads the market and is the proven Group 1 performer in the field with her Fillies Mile victory, but she does look to lack tactical speed and is a short enough price given that concern. The issue is that none of the others have yet proved themselves at this level, with a few with interlocking form lines, notably from the Lingfield Oaks trial where You Got To Me looked to rather slip the field holding on from a flying Rubies Are Red.
There is royal interest as well with the fourth in that race, TREASURE
14/1
(16:30 Epsom) one of the four Ralph Beckett runners. Lingfield was only her second career start and she had to do a lot of running to get into a challenging position, and has a decent chance of at least making the frame. She is a good-looking filly with scope to progress and the double-figure price about her appeals more in such an open renewal. The Lingfield race may be a better race this year than what looked a sub-standard Musidora won by Secret Satire.
