Mick Fitzgerald’s Horse Racing Tips
12:50 – Kolsai
13:30 – White Birch (each-way)
14:10 – Prosperous Voyage
14:45 – Jm Jungle
15:20 – Clarendon House
15:55 – Forca Timao (each-way)
16:30 – Scampi
17:05 – Apollo One
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
12:50 – Kolsai
Roger Varian’s runner gets a handy 12lb weight-for-age allowance as the only three-year-old in the race and this looks an ordinary contest. There are question marks about most of the five other runners and Kolsai could still be improving.
13:30 – White Birch (each-way)
This is a wide open Epsom Derby and exactly what the great race needs. Auguste Rodin is all the rage, even allowing for his 2,000 Guineas flop and trainer Aidan O’Brien is unwavering in his admiration of this son of Deep Impact. It will be much different ground conditions to what we have seen him in the past. Plenty of these ran in the Dante Stakes at York and The Foxes who won that day will be re-opposed by the unlucky-in-running Passenger and also the Irish challenger White Birch who was runner-up to The Foxes but had to make his challenge widest of all.
White Birch was very slow away from the stalls too yet still pressed the winner all the way to the line. My fear is The Foxes may be better suited to that 10f trip than the 1m 4f of the Derby.
The other Ballydoyle runners are hard to get a real handle on. Adelaide River mightn’t be good enough and while San Antonio is unbeaten in two starts this season, he had the run of the race in the Dee Stakes at Chester. Charlie Johnston’s Dubai Mile has some of the best form having chased home The Foxes last year in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket over a mile and then beat Arrest in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in France on heavy ground over 1m 2f. He finished fifth in the 2,000 Guineas behind Chaldean and looks a player. However, White Birch is improving, may be underestimated and can hit the frame at a nice price.
14:10 – Prosperous Voyage
This will be Frankie Dettori’s last ride as a professional at the Derby meeting and has a really good opportunity to go out on a winner with Prosperous Voyage. The race has cut up badly with only six runners and this Group 3 contest looks the perfect fit for the four-year-old filly after a disappointing run at Newmarket on unsuitably slow ground.
14:45 – Jm Jungle
The 5f ‘Dash’ handicap is among the quickest 5f races in the UK each year. Jm Jungle has ‘options’ from a stall 9 draw. He’s consistent and ran a really good race at York last time when runner-up to Kuwait City. He’s a fast breaker from the stalls could just have the run of the race.
15:20 – Clarendon House
Middleham Park racing have two runners in this contest where Clarendon House carries their first colours. It was a good run at York on seasonal debut behind Regional, considering he lost a shoe in the process and has been dropped to 102 in the ratings. The ground will not be a problem and he won last season at Beverley off a rating of 104 when making all.
15:55 – Forca Timao (each-way)
Not beaten far in a race, where year after year, so many winners come from. the London gold cup at Newbury . They have always aimed high with this horse and that makes me think there is more to come. He is a price but only has to hit the frame
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16:30 – Scampi
Andrew Balding’s five-year-old bolted up in a competitive handicap at York. He had also run well here prior to that run when the ground went against him. He loves to hear his hooves rattle and as a previous course and distance winner last July – he ticks a lot of boxes.
17:05 – Apollo One
A 6f sprint bring the curtain down on Derby day the joint top-weight Apollo One may be the answer to a tricky handicap. He’s drawn in stall 14 and Richard Kingscote won on him on his final start last season at Kempton on the all weather and takes the ride again.
Mick Fitzgerald’s Horse Racing Tips
12:50 – Kolsai
13:30 – White Birch (each-way)
14:10 – Prosperous Voyage
14:45 – Jm Jungle
15:20 – Clarendon House
15:55 – Forca Timao
16:30 – Scampi
17:05 – Apollo One
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Saturday’s Racing Tips
- Paddy’s ultimate Cheat Sheet for Epsom Derby day
- Ruby Walsh’s slick picks for Derby day at Epsom
- Matt Chapman’s Saturday selections on Derby day at Epsom
- Jason Weaver’s wily ITV Racing Wagers for Derby day at Epsom
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