3 minute read
Epsom’s two-day Derby meeting gets underway today. There’s some exciting supporting action from Carlisle, Doncaster and Catterick and Sam King returns with fabulous Friday selections.
When studying any form of racing at Epsom course experience is the first thing I go to.
The tight undulating left-handed track poses several challenges for the standard thoroughbred and those that act around Epsom tend to do so with great gusto, while those that don't simply just don't.
Although there's no course form on offer in the opening EBF 40th Anniversary Woodcote Stakes (2.00) there is form from similar venues such as Chester and those with previous left-handed track experience may well be the ones to focus on.
Hugo Palmer's Balon D'Or ran a mammoth race on the face of it in the Lily Agnes at Chester on his second start and he certainly proved he was capable of handling a track like Epsom.
Almost everything that could have gone wrong for Hugo Palmer's juvenile on the Roudee did and his third-place finish is very easy to upgrade.
Being stuck wide at Chester is not the place to be, and the son of Kodiac spent most of his race covering extra ground courtesy of his horrible draw.
The ground was worsening by the minute and although he won first-time-out on good-to-soft at Musselburgh it's easy to see him being a better horse on a sounder surface.
He should get a good position from stall three this afternoon and I'm hopeful of a bold sight under James Doyle in this afternoon's opener.
Selection: Balon D'Or – General 4/1
The Racehorse Lotto Handicap at 2.35 looks like a hot renewal but Rhoscolyn strikes me as a very well-handicapped horse.
Although recent form figures don't look all that appealing, he didn't run badly when tenth of twenty-two in the Victoria Cup at Ascot on his last start.
David O'Meara's charge started off last season on a mark of 105 and finds himself down to 95 here.
His sole outing on the Epsom Downs resulted in a facile four-length success over 7f in June 2021.
He's never gone as far as 1m ½ f, but he gets the mile well enough and it's possible this slight step up in trip can suit as he's become older.
The five-year-old clearly thrives on downhill tracks with his form at Goodwood an absolute standout and I'm hoping a return to a similar venue can spark him back to life.
Selection: Rhoscolyn – General 6/1
Epsom's closing handicap, the Winners Wear Cavani Handicap at 5.45, looks competitive but I cannot ignore the claims of course specialist Marlay Park and he looks to have been trained especially with this in mind.
He faces some interesting three-year-olds that are clearly on the up but once more I'm sticking with proven course form.
Jim Boyle should have his five-year-old spot on now following two runs this season and he shaped nicely when fifth over this trip at Goodwood last-time-out.
The gelded son of Cable Bay is three from eight over course and distance (also placed on four occasions) and only 1lb higher than when winning here in September. The quickening ground will
prove no issue whatsoever given he's won on good-to-firm here in the past and Pat Cosgrave should be able to get a nice position from stall three.
Selection: Marlay Park – General 6/1
