There will never be a Derby like the 2020 Derby!
So, pick the bones out of that one. The winning jockey Emmet McNamara said after that extraordinary Derby that once he took the lead “he never heard another horse”. The sectional timing for the race suggests he went a very even pace while building up his lead ad the other jockeys have simply failed to judge that properly and have been caught. With outsiders, who were in second and third place three furlongs out, having gone on to finish in those positions at the line the evidence looks pretty compelling.
This year’s Derby was an odd one anyway given the restrictions in place owing to the Covid-19 crisis with no crowd and everyone following strict protocols. With that result with the winner crossing the line in virtual total isolation it will be forever known as the Socially-Distanced Derby. The debate will rage among racing followers for many weeks if not months, no make that years while the once-a-year backers will just shrug their shoulders and occupy themselves with other matters. The only thing I can say for certain now is that Love was a brilliant winner of the Oaks.
See you next year for another Epsom Classic – goodness knows what it will look like by then.
Investec Zebra Handicap (5.35pm) result
1 Muntadab (B A Curtis) 7-2 Fav
2 Count Otto (Jim Crowley) 16-1
3 Alemaratalyoum (Jason Hart) 28-1
14 ran
Also: 22-1 Knowing Glance 4th
Non Runners: 5,8
Updated
There’s always one! Eddie Fremantle, formerly of this parish where he was the Observer racing correspondent, gave the winner a big up in advance. No after-timing from ‘Eddie the Shoe’
Top work from @eddietheshoe on the @oddscrackers podcast - very strong on runaway Derby winner as his live outsider #Serpentine 👏👏
— Sam Turner (@STurnerTipster) July 4, 2020
The reaction to that Derby result is one of disbelief and not a little anger. Steven Jewell has been in touch and says: “Surely what we watched was a fiasco by jockeys who all just tried to run their own race and paid no heed to what was happening as it happened? Was the winning time fast or slow relative to other Winning times the race was run? If not particularly fast that will tell the story!”
There was a similar response on ITV Racing:
'The most disappointing finish since the Game of Thrones finale' 😂
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 4, 2020
Thank you to everyone for getting in touch with the Social Stable today.#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/nUak6YaqU1
Jockey-turned-pundit Fran Berry on Racing TV also thinks the jockeys behind could have been at fault.
"One of these pacemakers getting away was always going to happen one of these days," says @franmberry.
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
"It was clear from 4f out Serpentine was gone beyond recall if he kept going.
"This will need a good bit of watching back and it's going to create a lot of debate." pic.twitter.com/bnJ5aE2ATZ
Updated
Racing journalist Terry Norman has come up with some interesting figures on the sectional timing which strongly suggests the other jockeys in the Derby gave the leader too much leeway at the front. There is no doubt this will be one of the most talked about and analysed Derbys of recent years – and it could be that the other jockeys end up looking like chumps.
Serpentine clocked 36.07sec for the last 3f. Given the lead he had (8 lengths at the 3f pole) all the rest of the field would have to have recorded a time sub 35sec (impossible), some even quicker, given the lead the winner had. #derby #epsom
— Terry Norman (@tjnnorman) July 4, 2020
Serpentine pulls off huge Derby shock
Serpentine has made all the running to win the Derby, just a week after recording the first victory of his career. Fancied horses like English King and Kameko were never seen with a chance as the chestnut eased clear and stayed there to score at 25-1, delivering a record-breaking eighth win in the Classic for his trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Khalifa Sat, who was always prominent, stayed on to be second at 50-1, suggesting the steady early pace was to blame for the odd result, along with the beaten jockeys failing to respect the chance of the early leader. Amhran Na Bhfiann nicked third place at 66-1 to complete an outrageously good result for the bookmakers.
Full story here:
Derby (4.55pm) result
1 Serpentine (E J McNamara) 25-1
2 Khalifa Sat (Tom Marquand) 50-1
3 Amhran Na Bhfiann (W Buick) 66-1
16 ran
Also: 5-2 Fav Kameko 4th
Updated
Derby (4.55pm)
They’re off ... English King went left out of the stalls from his draw ... Kameko races freely ... as they settle down it’s Serpentine leading from Khalifa Sat ... Max Vega is there with Kameko in fifth ... Serpentine has a long lead ... and is not stopping. He is going to win in the strangest Derby you’ll see for a very long time.
Updated
3-1 English King, Kameko, 6-1 Russian Emperor, 7-1 Mogul ... as the runners make their way to the start for the Derby. Our tipster Chris Cook is in great form and has four out of five winners so far. He’s gone for Russian Emperor.
Updated
Lots of good-looking horses in the paddock for this Derby, as you’d expect. I didn’t see any negatives. Emissary is an especially bonny animal, in my view, but I suspect the engine beneath his handsome chassis is not quite so powerful as one or two of the others involved here.
Kameko getting ready for the off.
🐢 @Qatar_Racing’s Kameko in the parade ring ahead of the Derby @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/FRCyUvNezO
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) July 4, 2020
English King in the paddock.
English King#InvestecDerby pic.twitter.com/8r4bAV7bIj
— Bill Esdaile (@BillEsdaile) July 4, 2020
Not many at the track as the build-up begins to the Derby.
There are about 50 people around the paddock as runners start to parade before the strangest #Derby of them all. pic.twitter.com/ZLTakcj2tT
— Greg Wood (@Greg_Wood_) July 4, 2020
Timeform have Kameko rated well clear but will he stay?
Timeform weight-adjusted ratings for the 2020 #InvestecDerby 📊
— Timeform (@Timeform) July 4, 2020
142 Kameko
133p Russian Emperor
131p English King
129p Vatican City
128p Highland Chief
125p Emissary
125 Pyledriver
124p Khalifa Sat
124p Mogul
121 Max Vega
120p Mohican Heights
120+ Gold Maze
118 Mythical pic.twitter.com/kmHwXlVQ3N
Frankie Dettori is not fazed apparently by his tricky draw in stall one on English King.
DERBY DAY: STALL CONUNDRUM
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) July 4, 2020
Unflappable Frankie far from fazed by English King's low Derby draw
🗣 “If you look at past Derbys, it hasn’t mattered where the winner was drawn”
Read more 👇
Just going back to Love in the Oaks – the time was impressive.
Confirmation that LOVE ran the fastest Oaks time at Epsom in history by 0.07s or about half a length (past Oaks have sometimes been run at slightly further due to rail movements). https://t.co/4wuBw2l6up
— Simon Rowlands (@RowleyfileRRR) July 4, 2020
Derby (4.55pm) preview
A strong pace looks likely in the Derby, since that would seem essential for the chances of Ballydoyle’s two main contenders, Mogul and Russian Emperor. It would also test the stamina of Kameko, the Guineas winner, who has a handy draw and will be very dangerous if they dawdle through the early stages.
On the assumption that Serpentine, a staying type, goes hard enough from the front to make this a true test, Russian Emperor is fancied to make his powerful finish count. The step up to this distance looks perfect for him and it also helps that there should still be some cushion in the ground after this week’s rain, because he is not the type to race handily and will probably have a dozen or more still in front of him at the home turn.
Luck in running will play a part from there and Highland Chief could figure if he is luckier than Russian Emperor when the gaps come. English King cannot be counted out, even from such a poor draw, and will become backable if his odds continue to drift.
Princess Elizabeth Stakes (4.15pm) result
1 Summer Romance (W Buick) 9-1
2 Cloak Of Spirits (Andrea Atzeni) 10-3
3 Rose Of Kildare (J Fanning) 14-1
6 ran
Princess Elizabeth Stakes (4.15pm)
They’re off ... Rose Of Kildare and Summer Romance prominent and Onassis at the back ... Summer Romance and Cloak Of Spirits lead into the home straight ... Rose Of Kildare just behind ... they are clear ... and Summer Romance stays on best to win.
Updated
Love conquers all
Love, the 11-10 favourite, became only the third 1,000 Guineas winner this century to follow up in the Oaks at Epsom with an emphatic nine-length success in the fillies’ Classic, beating Ennistymon, a stable companion at Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard, into a distant second place with Frankly Darling, her closest rival in the market, back in third.
Ryan Moore settled Love alongside Frankly Darling towards the rear of the field as Passion and Tiempo Vuela set a strong pace, well clear of their six opponents. Their efforts started to tell on the run down the hill towards Tattenham Corner, however, and Love moved smoothly towards the lead in the straight before drawing clear from two furlongs out, as Frankie Dettori launched a futile challenge on Frankly Darling.
Love’s winning time of 2min34.06sec was a new record for the Oaks, beating the mark set by the outstanding Enable in 2017. She was immediately cut from 20-1 to 5-1 to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October, a race that has favoured fillies, and three-year-old fillies in particular, in recent years.
“You never expect to win an Oaks like that,” Moore said. “She was exceptional today and hopefully she’s got plenty to look forward to in the future. She’d be a threat for anything.”
O’Brien suggested the Irish Oaks in a fortnight’s time as a possible target for Love but could also give her a break to freshen up before the Arc.
“Before the Guineas, we were worried it might be a little short for her,” O’Brien said, “and we always thought she would get a mile-and-a-quarter well. She’s by Galileo and she has a lovely, easy action, she’s very genuine and tries very hard.
“We were always hoping that the extra distance would improve her and obviously we were absolutely delighted with the result. She was working incredibly well. She’s very special, and it’s hard to say you could ever have a better filly than that. We saw what she did in the Guineas, by three or four lengths, and she doubled that today and it’s only her second run of the year.
“The Irish Oaks is going to be a possibility … but you’d have to [think about the Arc]. We’ll see how she is before any decision. We know what three-year-old fillies can do in the Arc. It depends on whether she has a summer break now or takes in another run and has a break after that.”
"Absolutely outstanding," says @cdixon82.
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
"This was run at a real solid gallop and Love has absolutely powered home. Wildly impressive." #InvestecDerbyDay @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/Hx5ufHhhZj
Updated
Princess Elizabeth Stakes (4.15pm) betting
- Fooraat – 11/8
- Cloak of Spirits – 7/2
- Love and Thunder – 11/2
- Summer Romance – 17/2
- Onassis – 11/1
- Rose of Kildare – 12/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker here.
Princess Elizabeth Stakes (4.15pm) preview
Punters seem more interested in the lightly raced runners here but Summer Romance has claims on the pick of her juvenile form. She got too far back in the early stages of the Guineas but showed just enough encouragement to be of interest here. She needs to be sharper this time but her yard has been firing in the winners.
Well that was some performance from Aidan O’Brien’s Love in the Oaks, one of the most impressive winners of the race in recent years. You could see her giving even Enable, a previous winner of this Classic, a race if they clash later in the season. Brilliant stuff.
Wow!
— Timeform (@Timeform) July 4, 2020
LOVE absolutely bolts up in the Oaks at @EpsomRacecourse for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore!pic.twitter.com/qw5FG9b5Go
Updated
Oaks (3.40pm) result
1 Love (R L Moore) 11-10 Fav
2 Ennistymon (J A Heffernan) 6-1
3 Frankly Darling (L Dettori) 7-4
8 ran
Also: 16-1 Queen Daenerys 4th
Updated
Oaks (3.40pm)
They’re off ... Passion has an early lead with Tiempo Veula there too ... Frankly Darling and Love are held up ... the two leaders are well clear for now ... the others ignoring them with Ennistymon heading the pack ... Love moves through smoothly ... Love has got three lengths clear and heads for home for an easy success.
Updated
This looks a great clash between the top two in the betting in the Oaks and Frankly Darling is being supported against the favourite, Love.
The moment of truth - Frankly Darling limbers up for the @Investec Oaks @EpsomRacecourse #InvestecDerbyDay pic.twitter.com/dJuMfkfzz6
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
Aidan O’Brien has six runners in the Derby and there was plenty of discussion on Racing TV this morning about O’Brien’s comments on team tactics. He made them in an exclusive interview with Chris Cook in the Guardian earlier this week.
One jockey is head and shoulders above everyone at Epsom past and present.
The Derby is so open today. I reckon even Lester, would have a chance of winning the @EpsomRacecourse Derby today on this fella. @itvracing pic.twitter.com/8HwYROZ6O1
— Anaglogs Daughter (@AnaglogsDaughtr) July 4, 2020
Oaks (3.40pm) betting
- Love – 5/4
- Frankly Darling – 7/4
- Ennistymon – 7/1
- Gold Wand - 25/1
- Passion – 40/1
- Queen Daenerys – 50/1
- Bharani Star – 66/1
- Tiempo Vuela – 100/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker here.
Oaks (3.40pm) preview
There are tempting alternatives but sticking with Love looks the best option in the Oaks. Rather like Kameko, she is the established top-class talent in the field but with more hope of seeing out the mile and a half, judging by her pedigree. Her winning margin in the 1,000 Guineas was the biggest for eight years and she may be too quick for the big-striding Frankly Darling.
Investec Handicap (3.00pm) result
1 Sky Defender (J Fanning) 22-1
2 Breath Caught (Harry Bentley) 11-1
3 Tinandali (Jim Crowley) 10-1
13 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Ironclad, 16-1 Data Protection 4th
Non Runners: 3,16,6
Updated
Investec Handicap (3.00pm)
They’re off ... but without Wargrave who wouldn’t go in the stalls ... You’re Hired and Sky Defender are prominent ... Mr Scaramanga goes up to take the lead ... Johnny Drama makes ground into second ... Caradoc is at the back ... Sky Defender takes the lead ... Breath Caught runs on into second but Sky Defender holds on well.
Updated
Investec Handicap (3.00pm) betting
- Ironclad – 10/3
- Caradoc – 6/1
- Johnny Drama – 6/1
- You’re Hired – 9/1
- Tinandali – 17/2
- Breath Caught – 12/1
- Data Protection – 14/1
- Certain Lad – 14/1
- Plantadream – 16/1
- Mr Scaramanga – 25/1
- Sucellus – 25/1
- Sky Defender – 33/1
- Dolphin Vista – 33/1
- Wargrave – 66/1
- Full Oddschecker betting here.
Investec Handicap (3.00pm) preview
The 14-length margin of You’re Hired’s reappearance win at Newmarket was no doubt flattering to some extent but he has got off pretty lightly with a 7lb hike. At odds of 8-1 or better, it could be worth taking a chance on his continued wellbeing, with William Buick back aboard.
Safe Voyage won in a course record but it might not be worth getting carried away just yet.
That 7f race is usually held on the Friday of the meeting when the rail is out and distance extended a little. Not sure it fully explains a xourse record, but might contribute to why it was so long lasting?
— David Johnson (@davidjohnsonTF) July 4, 2020
Surrey Stakes (2.25pm) result
1 Safe Voyage (Jason Hart) 6-5 Fav
2 Vale Of Kent (J Fanning) 5-1
3 Shine So Bright (S De Sousa) 5-1
6 ran
Also: 6-1 Oh This Is Us 4th
Updated
Surrey Stakes (2.25pm)
They’re off ... Shine So Bright out of the stalls quick and in the lead ... Daarik is at the back ... Vale Of Kent is second ... Shine So Bright kicks but Safe Voyage took a while to get going but gets there in the end.
Updated
Surrey Stakes (2.25pm) betting
- Safe Voyage – 6/5
- Shine So Bright – 9/4
- Daarik – 15/2
- Vale of Kent – 15/2
- Oh This Is Us – 8/1
- Jacks Point – 16/1
- Full betting here at Oddschecker
Surrey Stakes (2.25pm) preview
He could do with another shower or two but Safe Voyage appeals most. He wasn’t quite up to Group Two standard when stepped up in class last season but he is hard to beat at this level and his main rivals have questions to answer. Shine So Bright would be dangerous at his best but he was a long way short of that when folding tamely at Royal Ascot.
Owen Burrows gave that winner of the first race on Derby day a big shout from the grandstand steps. He would have trained winners in some more valuable, more significant races in his short career so far but Twaasol is a very promising youngster with bigger days in his future.
Owen Burrows - now three from five at @EpsomRacecourse after victory for Twaasol in the Woodcote 👍 #InvestecDerbyDay pic.twitter.com/qZqkxGy23m
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
Updated
Lester Piggott’s plaques at Epsom have been replaced by socially-distancing information!
Isn't this where the great plaques to Lester were usually attached to the gates at Epsom? Anybody know where they went? Getty pic. pic.twitter.com/iy4Pm7cQVd
— Geoffrey Riddle (@Louchepunter) July 4, 2020
Updated
Woodcote Stakes (1.50pm) result
1 Twaasol (M Harley) 9-4 Jt Fav
2 Modern News (W Buick) 9-4 Jt Fav
3 Mutazawwed (Jim Crowley) 11-4
5 ran
Also: 7-1 Inhaler 4th
Twaasol pushes out towards the line to win the Investec Woodcote EBF Stakes at @EpsomRacecourse #ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/yb9gdtE0V8
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 4, 2020
Updated
Woodcote Stakes (1.50pm)
They’re off ... Calcutta Cup is slowly away with Inhaler leading ... Mutazawwed is chasing him ... and Modern News and Twaasol now make four in a line ... with Twaasol getting the upper hand and going on to win.
Updated
Woodcote Stakes (1.50pm) betting
- Twaasol – 7/4
- Modern News – 5/2
- Mutazawwed – 7/2
- Inhaler – 17/2
- Calcutta Cup – 12/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker here
Updated
Woodcote Stakes (1.50pm) preview
Modern News ran a big race in the Chesham and this return to six furlongs looks like good news for the Godolphin horse. Still, narrow preference is for Twaasol, who showed a useful turn of foot to score on his debut at Windsor, when the betting expected little from him.
Updated
I am a fan of ITV Racing but at times the coverage is crying out for a presenter such as former Timeform and Channel 4 Racing pundit Jim McGrath – someone who has a bet but also recognises the importance of proper, intelligent analysis. That was most definitely the case this morning on the Opening Show when the subject of the Derby draw was discussed. My email ‘in-tray’ has been bulging with news about English King since Frankie Dettori was booked to ride the horse. But the fact that the horse is drawn in stall one has had an impact on the colt’s chances and has been a legitimate source of discussion.
Indeed, a spokesperson from horse-bettors.com pointed out to me today: “English King was all the rage for the Derby minutes after he crossed the line in his Classic trial. His price came under further pressure as it was confirmed Frankie Dettori would take the ride, but since getting drawn in the worst stall possible, even with the Frankie Factor, that development was enough to see the market leader double in price from 2-1 to 4-1.”
And yet this morning on the ITV preview programme we had Matt Chapman telling us “it didn’t matter” and Oli Bell saying he wouldn’t back horses in certain stalls simply because they had a bad record in the race. Thank goodness for Racing TV and Lydia Hislop who in her pre-meeting broadcast this morning made the valid point that English King’s draw “is not an advantage but not insurmountable”. She highlighted an excellent feature by Timeform on how big a disadvantage is stall one in the Derby. Their conclusion was that “the data suggests there is merit in the view that a low draw is more of a hindrance than a help.” It is definitely something Dettori will need to factor in as he gets ready to go into the stalls later. Of course, the great Lester Piggott had his own view as Racing TV presenter Steve Mellish pointed out (I think Old Stone Face didn’t want to give anything away!):
How decisive is the draw in the @Investec Derby?
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
Lester Piggott customarily cut to the chase back in 1988, as told in this anecdote by Steve Mellish! 😂 #InvestecDerbyDay @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/Kh96IX3NMq
To the many of you who would love to be at Epsom today, the hearty message from a makeshift press room is: wish you were here. It’s been fun to see some familiar faces for the first time since March but the 20 or so of us seated behind laptops at socially distanced tables are struggling to create much of an atmosphere, to be brutally honest. Conditions are unexpectedly Spartan, with all the grandstand doors propped open to ensure air circulation. On a cold, windy day, this is causing problems for the circulation in my fingers, which have not been so pale since that day at Kelso when Zaynar got beat at 1-14. Winners are going to be needed, or the long drive home will feel like the retreat from Moscow.
When I go to the footy I get a programme, when I go to the track I bag a racecard. It’s all part of the ritual. This is a great idea from the Jockey Club as you can grab a digital racecard for today’s Derby day at Epsom via the link in the tweet below.
Enjoy the action at @EpsomRacecourse today like you were there with a copy of the official digital racecard 📰#InvestecDerbyDay
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2020
👇👇👇https://t.co/gs0LeBDaTp pic.twitter.com/qRiNCzLygg
The Eclipse Stakes at Sandown tomorrow is the race of the season so far with favourite Enable scheduled to make her reappearance. She was out on the Newmarket gallops this morning.
The queen of the turf, Enable, on Newmarket's Warren Hill this morning ahead of her 2020 debut in the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes tomorrow at Sandown.
— TDN (@theTDN) July 4, 2020
📷@CollingsBerry pic.twitter.com/mWZlP1fc4j
There is a wishing well at the ‘Amato’ pub near Epsom that has a Derby runner’s name scrawled on the woodwork each year and legend has it this is performed by one of the gypsy fortune-tellers. I’m indebted to the Racing Post who pointed out that a decade ago the ‘tipster’ was a foreseen fountain of success, predicting eight out of the previous 12 winners. This year’s tip is Kamkeo but it’s worth noting that the Amato selector is on a long losing run, as highlighted by BBC sports reporter Frank Keogh.
The Epsom wishing well at Amato Inn that traditionally has name of Derby winner chalked on by mystery tipster is on a long losing run @leemottershead @BuckleyKevin pic.twitter.com/kOcI2tDrIy
— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) July 4, 2020
Updated
Going latest
The going at Epsom is GOOD with a Going Stick reading of 6.8 at 9am today. The weather is forecast to be overcast and after a damp start it is expected to stay dry with temperatures of up to 21 degrees Celsius.
Latest @TurfTrax reading for @EpsomRacecourse is 6.8 at 9am. Was 6.7 at 2pm yesterday pic.twitter.com/nH5h9wpvlT
— Andrew Cooper (@ACooperClerk) July 4, 2020
Non-runners
Here’s the latest details on the horses that won’t line up this afternoon and there’s an important absentee in the big betting handicap of the day with the favourite out of the race, reducing the field to 15 runners, as is the case in the 5.35 too.
3.00pm Investec Handicap
3 Desert Icon (FR) (Self Certificate, Not Eaten Up)
5.35pm Investec Zebra Handicap
5 Buridan (Self Certificate, Sore)
Your Derby horse-by-horse guide
There are plenty of intriguing races on a unique Epsom card with the Oaks also included this afternoon but it’s the premier Flat race of the season everyone is talking about and it’s as puzzling and as fascinating a Derby as there has been in recent years. Chris Cook has compiled a detailed horse-by-horse guide so take your time (the big one is not till 4.55pm) and take your pick.
Chris Cook’s Derby 1-2-3
1 Russian Emperor 13-2
2 English King 11-4
3 Highland Chief 16-1
Updated
It's the Derby ... but not as we know it!
While thoroughly conscious of the fact that it is a huge privilege to be one of the very few people who will watch the 2020 Derby live, it has to be said that arriving at Epsom on the biggest day of the Flat racing year with scarcely a soul to be seen anywhere on the downs is an experience that I very much hope never to repeat.
The efforts that have been made to ensure that the racing public stays away from Epsom today are impressive. The whole area is fenced off, the main road down to the grandstand is closed and there are security personnel guarding every potential entry or vantage point. The entry procedures for us lucky few in attendance are thorough, too. There won’t be any cheeky punters slipping in through the gate.
But no race or event feeds off its crowd quite like this one, which has been attracting huge gatherings to Epsom for nearly a quarter of a millennium. It did not matter quite so much at Ascot a few weeks ago, but in future years, the replay of this year’s Derby will always be immediately identifiable as 2020, thanks to the lack of double-decker buses lining the rail on the inside of the track. There will be no roar to set the runners on their way, no packed grandstand to acclaim the best three-year-old colt (and filly, because it is Oaks day too) of their generation.
And the Derby in particular is packed with headline-grabbing potential. Frankie Dettori will attempt to give Ed Walker a win with his first runner in the Classic aboard the (likely) favourite, English King, Aidan O’Brien has six runners as he seeks an all-time record eighth winner, and Kameko goes for Andrew Balding, 49 years after his father, Ian, won with Mill Reef. There is another father-son combination in the race too, as Paul and Oliver Cole jointly send Highland Chief to post, 29 years after Cole snr won with Generous.
English King is now only the likely favourite as Walker’s colt has drifted to 4-1 with several firms, just half a point in front of Kameko, while there has also been plenty of money for O’Brien’s Russian Emperor, top-priced at 11-2 to give Seamie Heffernan a second successive win in the Classic.
Chris Cook’s tips and analysis of today’s card and Classics are here, while you can follow all the news on the going, the betting and everything else Epsom-related here throughout the day. The first race here is at 1.50pm, the Oaks is off at 3.40pm and the Derby itself at 4.55pm, when there will hopefully be an audience of millions to make up for the lack of punters at the track.
