It has been a “muggy” start to the morning at Epsom according to Andrew Cooper, the clerk of the course, who also warns that at least one thunderstorm can be expected at some point during the afternoon. In the meantime, however, the ground for Friday afternoon’s opening day of the Investec Derby Festival, which includes both the Oaks and Coronation Cup, is drying steadily, and Cooper predicts that it will be officially good-to-firm in places before racing starts with the Woodcote Stakes at 2.00.
As a result, it is increasingly difficult to see a filly to beat Rhododendron (4.30) in the Oaks, in particular because Charlie Appleby’s Sobetsu went so well on soft ground when she took the Prix Saint-Alary in impressive fashion at Deauville last time out. “The key thing is the ground,” Appleby said at the time, and while she would be an outstanding each-way bet with a little ease in the going, she will need to produce her very best form to trouble Rhododendron. On quickening ground, it is hard to see her doing so.
Enable is a solid second-favourite but the time of her win in the Cheshire Oaks was nothing out of the ordinary and she needs to find plenty of improvement to win. As a result, Andrew Balding’s Horseplay makes more appeal as an each-way option against the odds-on favourite, but it will be a real surprise if Rhododendron does not give Aidan O’Brien his fifth Classic success of the season on Friday afternoon.
O’Brien has a strong hand in the Coronation Cup as well with the full brothers Highland Reel (3.10) and Idaho, with the former expected to return to his best form after a disappointing run on rain-softened ground at Meydan in March.
Brorocco (3.45) put up an excellent performance on the clock to win over course and distance back in April and a reproduction of that should be enough this afternoon, while De Bruyne Horse (2.00) will take some stopping as he attempts to give Richard Hannon his third success in the Woodcote in four years.
Sixties Groove (2.35) is making his seasonal debut but Jeremy Noseda has a decent strike-rate first time up and his four-year-old has form at this track having won over 10 furlongs here last July. A drop back to a mile is not an obvious step for a son of Sixties Icon, but Sixties Groove travels like a horse who will be effective at the trip and looked like a horse with more improvement to come when he took a valuable and competitive handicap at Kempton Park in November.
Friday’s tips, by Greg Wood
Epsom Downs
2.00 De Bruyne Horse 2.35 Sixties Groove (nb) 3.10 Highland Reel 3.45 Brorocco (nap) 4.30 Rhododendron 5.15 Sutter County 5.50 Black Trilby
Catterick Bridge
1.50 Consequences 2.25 Retrieve 3.00 Berryessa 3.35 Lester Kris 4.10 Be Royale 4.55 Lucky Beggar 5.30 Nuala Tagula 6.05 Kyllach Me
Market Rasen
1.40 Azzuri 2.15 Rainy City 2.50 Civil Unrest 3.25 Abidjan 4.00 Brian Boranha 4.45 Lithic 5.20 Rock N’Stones
Bath
5.45 Kiruna Peak 6.20 Fab 6.50 Mr Pocket 7.20 Dealer’s Choice 7.50 Harrison Stickle 8.20 Major Valentine 8.50 King Oswald
Doncaster
6.00 Teodoro 6.30 Livella Fella 7.00 The Statesman 7.30 Gothic Empire 8.00 Coolfitch 8.30 Pursuing Steed
Goodwood
6.10 Gabrial The Thug 6.40 Frostbite 7.10 Auntie Pam 7.40 Southern Belle 8.10 Deep Challenger 8.40 Shaaqaaf
