
13:50 Twaasol
Bred to be useful, Twaasol overcame inexperience to make a winning debut at Windsor last month, making good headway out wide over a furlong out and keeping on well despite being carried left inside the final 200 yards. That effort is backed up by the clock, and with further improvement anticipated, he boasts strong claims in this card opener.
14:25 Safe Voyage
Safe Voyage claimed a hat-trick of victories that included a handicap, a listed race, and a Group 3 race at the start of last season, outlining perfectly the progress he made, and he continued to produce very good efforts in defeat afterwards, notably in Group 1 company.
He came up narrowly short when attempting to defend his crown in the listed Sprint Trophy Stakes at Haydock on his reappearance last month, but he proved himself to be at least as good as ever in an above-average renewal, and he can kick off another good campaign with victory here.
15:00 Desert Icon
A dual-winner in 2019, Desert Icon shaped encouragingly when fourth at Newmarket after nine months off, and he more than confirmed the promise of that run with a wide-margin success at the same venue last week. He is set for a hefty rise in the weights further down the line, so this could be a good time to catch him turned out quickly under a 6 lb penalty.
15.:40 Love
Love became yet another filly from the Aidan O’Brien yard to kick on as a three-year-old despite having had plenty of racing as a juvenile when powering clear to land the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on her return to action last month.
She looks a filly right out of the top drawer, and arguably more importantly, looked better the further she went in the Guineas. There are plenty with ability in this line-up, none more so than John Gosden’s Frankly Darling, but O’Brien’s charge has the form behind her, and with the potential for her to rate higher still over further, she is difficult to oppose.
16:15 Fooraat
Fooraat made a promising start to her career, edging out a well-backed John Gosden newcomer to win at the first time of asking at Newcastle in October, and she confirmed the placings with that rival despite the revised terms when following up in decisive fashion at Chelmsford last month.
The style of her performance, putting her rivals to the sword from a fair way out, and the time, suggest she ran to a decidedly useful level second time up, and with plenty more to come from her, she gets the vote to take this step up in class in her stride.
16:55 English King
A fast-improving Camelot colt, English King was very impressive when readily seeing off Berkshire Rocco in the Lingfield Derby Trial last month, booking his ticket for Epsom with consummate ease. He is a fascinating contender in an open-looking Derby and appeals as the type to go on improving for a while yet, so he gets the vote ahead of Mogul and Russian Emperor, who appeal most of the Aidan O’Brien sextet.
17:35 Tintoretto
Having just his second start for Tom Ward, Tinoretto stepped up on his reappearance run when producing a career-best effort to land a Kempton handicap in March, and he picked up where he left off when following up over the same course and distance three weeks ago. He is clearly in fine form at present and may yet have even more to offer for this yard, so he is taken to transfer his all-weather form to the turf and land the hat-trick.
Timeform’s tips for Epsom on Derby and Oaks day
13:50 Twaasol
14:25 Safe Voyage
15:00 Desert Icon
15.:40 Love
16:15 Fooraat
16:55 English King
17:35 Tintoretto
Essential Epsom reading
- Mick Fitzgerald’s Best Bets For Saturday’s Epsom Derby And Oaks
- Our 5 Pundits’ Cheat Sheet For Derby Day At Epsom
- Paddy’s Runner-By-Runner Guide To The Epsom Derby