Epsom’s two-day Derby meeting starts Friday and BetVictor continue to see Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous supported for Friday’s fillies’ classics; now 3/1 after being 25/1 before last Sunday’s success at The Curragh.
Joseph O’Brien is set the partner the Galileo filly and she looks set to go off favourite with John Gosden’s Taghrooda out to 5/2 and uneasy at the head of affairs. Champion Jockey Richard Hughes steered Talent to success at 20/1 last year and has been booked to partner recent Newbury winner Volume; Luca Cumani‘s 3-y-o could prove a lively outsider at the 14/1 mark.
The star attraction of Wednesday’s racing is undoubtedly John Gosden’s Remote (3.50) who should be too good for his rivals in the mile handicap at Nottingham, despite having to concede weight all round. The 4-y-o capped off an excellent season last year winning the G3 Tercentary Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and providing the ground isn’t too testing for the Dansili colt, he should be very difficult to beat.
This will likely be used as a stepping stone to bigger and better things such as The Eclipse and The Irish Champion Stakes, races the trainer has won with Nathaniel and The Fugue in the previous two seasons.
Prince Khalid Abdullah’s retained ride James Doyle will be in the plate for the first time and he has already been nibbled for further Royal Ascot success; 12/1 (from 16s) for the Prince of Wales’ Stakes in three weeks’ time.
Doyle also takes the ride on Bragging (4.20) after guiding her to success last month at Windsor and she looks a fascinating runner in the fillies’ handicap over a mile. The daughter of Exchange Rate finished third behind William Haggas’ Etaab on debut but progressed to win her maiden nicely and despite conceding 2lb to the Hamdan filly, can hopefully reverse the form.
Richard Hannon’s string remain in good order and it would be no surprise to see Tea in Transvaal give a good account. She never landed a blow on her seasonal reappearance at Haydock but should come on for the run and warrants respect should the ground dry out.
Hugo Palmer’s Tactical Strike (4.50) finished an eye-catching fourth on handicap debut last month over course and distance and can go even closer in the extended handicap over a mile and three quarters. The Pivotal colt remains unexposed from a mark of 66 and with blinkers and a tongue tie both on for the first time can shed the maiden tag at a belated fifth attempt.
Paul Hanagan heads to Ripon as opposed to Kempton this evening for boss Sheikh Hamdan with the William Haggas trained Muthmir (8.10) looking the pick of the former champion jockey’s five rides. The gelding was progressive in maidens last year and impressed when winning at Doncaster over six furlongs in July. He went off a warm favourite for a competitive handicap at Newmarket thereafter and despite disappointing, is worth another chance with the Haggas stable in excellent form
The yard landed a treble at Carlisle on Monday night and they can celebrate further success with Roosey (6.40) in the opening maiden. The Acclamation colt was in need of the experience on debut at Doncaster and duly improved on his next start when second over course and distance. He sets the standard and can get the better of Mark Johnston’s beautifully bred Revolutionist; a Pivotal half-brother to G1 winner Dubai Destination.
The Gray Gatsby gave trainer Kevin Ryan a first classic in the Prix Du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday and whilst perhaps not of that ilk, Derbyshire (7.10) was a juvenile that was always held in the highest regard by the Hambleton Lodge handler.
He was punted like a good thing in a warm maiden on debut at York before being found out by soft ground thereafter. He pulled too hard in his races last term and it is hoped that a gelding operation has (ironically enough) made a man out of him. He looks potentially chucked in from a mark of 64.
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