Epsom Derby Betting / Andrew Hughes / 05 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Details for every race on Saturday's Epsom card, by Andrew Hughes.

1:25 - Investec Sir Clement Freud Memorial Stakes
The opening contest of Derby day has been renamed to commemorate the great Sir Clement Freud, a racing writer of unequalled wit and erudition. It is to be hoped that this race provides a fitting contest. It is a ten furlong Heritage handicap confined to three-year-olds and is invariably a strongly run affair. Punters should be on the look out for rail alterations from the first day.

1:55 - Investec Woodcote Stakes
A Listed race for two-year-olds that can be tricky to unravel with so many unexposed types, some of which may well not take to the quirky contours of the Epsom course. With so many of the better two-year-olds yet to see a racecourse, we are not seeing the cream of the younger generation here but there are still some interesting sorts such as Richard Hannon's Desert Auction who won a conditions race at Goodwood last time.

2:25 - Princess Elizabeth Stakes
A Group Three for fillies and mares run over the extended mile that to be honest has not always lived up to its Group status. Still, it is a good race for punters to get their teeth into as these horses have plenty of form on the book and four of the last five renewals have gone to the favourite. There isn't a big field going to post for this and few have achieved anything at Group level. James Fanshawe's Spacious is the highest rated of the bunch, based on her second in the 1000 Guineas last year.

3:00 - Investec "Dash"
A big prize on offer for this Heritage handicap that is one of the highlights of the meeting, certainly in terms of spectacle, if not always quality. A five furlong cavalry charge down the fastest sprint course in the country, it is not to be missed. Last year the field spread out nicely but in previous years they have tended to bunch on the stands rail, causing a few hard luck stories, so punters need to try and assess how the race will pan out this time. There are plenty of familiar faces on view with previous winners Hogmaneigh and Desert Lord topping the handicap.

3:45 Investec Derby
The biggest race in the flat calendar is a unique test of physical capabilities for these three-year-olds. Stamina to see out a strongly run mile and a half is a pre-requisite but top class speed is also essential and the conformation to keep their balance around the unique gradients of this grand old course. There is a distinctive Ballydoyle flavour to this classic, with Aidan O'Brien saddling no fewer than six of the 13 entrants. As expected, Johnny Murtagh stuck with Rip Van Winkle, currently available at [6.2] whilst Seamus Heffernan rides Fame And Glory [5.5] However, the current ante-post favourite is Sea The Stars [4.2] bidding to become the first horse since Nashwan to do the Guineas and Derby double.

4:30 - Investec Surefooted Stakes
Run over the same distance as the Derby, this Class Two handicap may lack the quality of the preceding race, but should be a fiercely contested event, with seventeen runners going to post. Amanda Perratt saddled the winner of this race in 2006 and 2007 and went close to the hat trick with Bandama last year. The eight-year-old bids to go one better today whilst last year's winner, Philip Hobbs' Bureacrat, will be trying to retain his crown after an eight month break.

5:05 - Investec Distinctive Stakes
Another big field sprint to finish, this time over six furlongs and featuring a field of seventeen, packed full of decent albeit not top class sprinters. As well as being a desirable prize in its own right, it is a decent trial for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot later this month and so worth watching for clues for that race. Dandy Nicholls has saddled five of the last ten winners and has seven entered for this one, but last year's winner Mac Gille Eoin is back on a mark below which he ran off last year.