Aidan O’Brien’s dual Guineas winner Gleneagles was not supplemented for Saturday’s Derby, neither was his Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Found, as the Master of Ballydoyle relies on Hans Holbein, Kilimanjaro and Giovanni Canaletto bidding for a fourth success on the spin. No trainer has won the mile and a half classic on four successive occasions however after the victories of Camelot, Ruler of the World and Australia O’Brien relies on a trio all in double-figure prices and John Gosden’s unbeaten colt Golden Horn the 7/4 favourite with BetVictor to land his trainer a first win since since Benny the Dip’s narrow victory 18 years ago.
The Cape Cross colt has been supplemented at a cost of £75,000 by owner Anthony Oppenheimer however with doubts surrounding the son of Cape Cross’s stamina he warrants taking on at the head of the market and Storm the Stars, beaten a head by the Derby favourite in a maiden in the Autumn at October, attracts as the value from an ante-post perspective at 25/1 with BetVictor to give trainer William Haggas a third English classic.
Haggas runs Auxiliary (2.10) in the opener at Brighton and the son of Fast Company taken to use the benefit of experience to shed the maiden tag the second attempt. The selection was a beaten favourite when fourth on debut last month at Leicester however should improve for the run and get his head in front under Pat Cosgrave.
Birdie Queen is the only runner in the feature 7f Handicap with course form to her name however has to defy a career-high mark if she is to secure a 3rd success at the track and perennial bridesmaid Pretty Bubbles (3.40) is chanced under Freddy Tylicki. The selection has been the model of consistency over the past six months, finishing out of the front three in all bar one of her last ten starts. The handicapper has given her a chance however, leaving her on the same mark when bumping into one last time out at Leicester, and she should run her race once more.
Graham Lee has enjoyed an excellent season picking up rides in the north for southern raiders from Newmarket and Lambourn and Taraz (2.55) looks like another winning for the newly-formed alliance for trainer Roger Varian. The pair have enjoyed a 27% strike-rate over the past 12 months and the gelded son of Oasis Dream can add to that further from an opening handicap mark of 64. The selection wasn’t beaten far in a brace of maidens last term before disappointing on ground softer than ideal on his seasonal reappearance at Nottingham in April. The gelding should appreciate returning to a much sounder surface and should be stripped fitter now stepped up in trip handicapping.
Memory Cloth could be dangerous if the heavens open prior to the ten furlongs handicap with the 8-y-o returning to his last winning mark however providing the ground stays on the quick side of good Ventura Quest (3.25) is given the nod for the in-form Richard Fahey team. Much like Memory Cloth, the selection has tumbled down the weights, returning to his last winning mark of 80 and after a trio of fair efforts since returning from a break is fancied to make it fourth time lucky this term.
A 21lb rise at the weights looks unable to stop Birdman (3.55) who is a confident selection to complete the four-timer for the David O’Meara yard, after a trio of comfortable successes since joining the stable at the start of the year.
There’s summer jumping from Southwell where Sail and Return (5.35) looks set to land back-to-back renewals of the feature handicap chase over two and a half miles. Phil Middleton’s runner returned from a break finishing down the field at Chepstow two months ago however that should have put him spot on for this evening. Back on his preferred sounder surface can land a 7th career success under regular pilot Kielan Woods.
The Warren Greatrex yard excels in bumpers and Stickee Fingers (8.05) can land the finale under Gavin Sheehan. The yard have enjoyed a 29% strike-rate in the sphere over the past 12 months (nine winners from 31 runners) and this well-bred filly can add to that tally further this evening.
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