It’s Ladies’ Day, At Epsom!
While there are 6 UK meetings today, we make no apologies for focusing on just one of them! It’s Oaks Day at Epsom (also Ladies’ Day, so check out our hot-off-the-press and already-viral feature-article – 20 Women Set To Dominate Horse Racing, Over The Next Decade) and the Listed Woodcote Stakes is the curtain-raiser (2.00).
All 6 of the raced runners are previous winners. Between them they have run 11 times and picked up 8 victories. Tibr is the blog pick, with Ed Dunlop in cracking form and Ryan Moore booked for the ride. A 1-length victory at Lingfield flattered his rivals and the American colt can emulate last year’s winner, Buratino.
Sign up now to grab your £50 Welcome BonusArod To Rule
The G3 Diomed Stakes (3.10) hasn’t produced a 3-year-old winner since 1994 and even a partnership with Silvestre de Sousa seems unlikely to help Sea Of Flames enough. Custom Cut, Sovereign Debt and Tullius should all be competitive, but the preference is Arod, who should have benefited greatly from his Australia trip and can land the spoils for Peter ChappleHyam. This could be a very big weekend for Teofilo, with regard to his reputation as a sire.
Minding Defeat Seems Unthinkable
Pundits have been queueing up to confidently announce that Aidan O’Brien has outsmarted himself, by picking the wrong races for his top 3-year-olds so far this season. Failures by Air Force Blue (2,000 Guineas) and today’s hot-favourite Minding (only 2nd in the Irish 1,000 Guineas) have led to hastily-written obituaries for O’Brien’s 2016 Classic campaign.
Normal service can be resumed, this afternoon, as Minding still looks head and shoulders above today’s rivals and can win the race she has always been aimed towards with something in hand. The most-likely challenge will come from another of Aidan’s inmates. Somehow proved too good for Moorside, in the Cheshire Oaks and the best is yet to be seen of her.
Skiffle is a threat, on form at least, but Charlie Appleby has never won this race and (more importantly) neither has any Dubawi filly. Diamonds Pour Moi finished just a length behind Somehow at Chester and Ralph Beckett won the Oaks with Talent in 2013. If the Aidan O’Brien express train really has come off the tracks, Beckett’s gem could be the one to shine.
Take A Look At Scrutineer
The Listed Surrey Stakes completes Friday’s black-type action, at Epsom. Haalick is likely to go-off as favourite, but looks vulnerable on ground this soft. Raucous’ last performance did little to inspire confidence and Scrutineer appeals far more. Mick Channon’s charge has placed twice in Listed company (his only 2016 appearances) and will relish the conditions.
George Is Just Too Good
There’s Listed action at Leopardstown (7.35), but a procession looks likely to precede The Order Of St George’s latest coronation. An 11-length victory in the G1 Irish St Leger, against better horses than the Galileo colt will face today, indicates that Silwana, Mandatario, Fact Or Folklore, Botany Bay and Modem should all get a good long look at his hind-quarters this evening.
The King George V Cup (8.35) is also Listed and Claudio Monteverdi is the pick of 4 Aidan O’Brien runners. Dermot Weld’s Zalfana will attempt to fend off the deep-blue cavalry and might just do so. 7 races are on a pretty ordinary-looking card, at Tramore.
There’s racing at Nantes and Saint-Cloud, plus a Listed encounter at Fairview where Clear Sailing can navigate a path to victory in the Milkwood Stakes.
Sign up now to grab your £50 Welcome BonusToday’s Picks
EPSOM
2.00 Tibr
2.35 Dark Red
3.10 Arod
3.45 Fieldsman
4.30 Minding
5.15 Scrutineer
5.50 Happy Call
BATH
6.00 Spray Tan
6.30 Quite A Story
7.00 Kodiline
7.30 Blue Silk
8.00 Maverick
8.30 Urban Space
9.00 Maer Rocks
CATTERICK
1.50 Queen Kindly
2.25 The Kid
3.00 Black Grass
3.35 Owaseyf
4.10 Bondi Beach Babe
4.55 Best Trip
5.30 Ifandbutwhynot
DONCASTER
6.10 Hammer Gun
6.40 Wavelet
7.10 Raven’s Corner
7.40 Hakam
8.10 Jaarih
8.40 Dark Command
GOODWOOD
6.20 Space War
6.50 Montataire
7.20 Apple Scruffs
7.50 Dancing Star
8.20 Concord
8.50 Delve
MARKET RASEN
1.40 Rejaah
2.15 Kid Valentine
2.50 Hindon Road
3.25 Royal Macnab
4.00 Forever Field
4.45 Listen And Learn
5.20 Robben
LEOPARDSTOWN
6.05 Sir Edwin Landseer
6.35 Ocotillo
7.05 Chicago Fall
7.35 Order Of St George
8.05 Udogo
8.35 Zalfana
9.05 In Her Stride
TRAMORE
5.45 Mighty Fine
6.15 Genesta
6.45 Rock Lobstar
7.15 Racing Again
7.45 Stay With It
8.15 Cadawil
8.45 Tajseer
NANTES
R1 Lady Linn
R2 Lytea
R3 Miley
R4 Hectomare
R5 Baltic Spirit
R6 Cashkille
R7 Newlight
R8 Fou Et Sage
R9 Salam Bombay
SAINT-CLOUD
R1 Tamelly
R2 Ashiqana
R3 Pelvoux
R4 Golden Wood
R5 Super Ridge
R6 Alleaza
R7 War Again
R8 Carmen Lady
FAIRVIEW
R1 Great Waves
R2 Lady Willow
R3 Consonance
R4 Prairie Rose
R5 Just Too Early
R6 Clear Sailing
R7 Storyfields
R8 Nordic Jet
