Epsom Derby Betting / Andrew Hughes / 04 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Andrew Hughes provides the lowdown on an excellent Friday card at Epsom, including an extremely high quality field for the presitgious Investec Oaks...

1:40 Investec Diomed Stakes

Friday's card gets under way with this Group Three race run over the extended mile. Recent renewals have not been much more than Listed class, but it looks a little better this time around, despite the small number of entrants. There will be a lot of interest in the lightly raced Sir Michael Stoute trained four-year-old Confront, who won the Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket on his seasonal reappearance. This race will also give us our first clue as to how the track is riding.

2:10 Investec Mile

A Class Two handicap run over the same distance as the opener, but for a slightly lower class of animals. It is usually a more strongly run race than the Diomed, but there is a small field this time and so we can't be guaranteed a strong early pace. Still, though many of these handicappers are exposed, it should be reasonably competitive. Richard Hannon's Plum Pudding is likely to attract plenty of support following his win in a conditions race at Warwick last time out.

2:45 Investec Coronation Cup

One of the highlights of the meeting, this is a Group One run over the Derby distance and is a perennially fascinating clash of Classic contenders from years past, with many of these having competed in the Derby or Oaks as three-year-olds. Once again, the small field leaves open the possibility of a tactical contest, so punters may want to bear that in mind when weighing up the race. Many of the top stables are represented here, foremost amongst them being Aidan O'Brien who has saddled three of the last four winners of this contest. This year he has entered Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire who is available at [10.5]. Amongst others to look out for are last year's runner up, Youmzain, currently around the [3.5] mark and 2008 Oaks winner Look Here who can be backed at [6.6]

3:25 Investec Challenge Cup

A 10 furlong Heritage Handicap that should be a competitive betting heat. Lake Poet for Clive Brittain is sure to be popular in the market, being the only course and distance winner in the race having won this race last year and showing his well being by running second behind John Gosden's well regarded Coronation Cup entry Duncan last time out.

4:05 Investec Oaks

The highlight of the day and a race with a fine pedigree, older by two years than the Derby itself. The anticipation has been building for this contest over many weeks with the prospect of some red hot contenders clashing. Again there is a relatively small field going to post for this most prestigious of fillies races, but the quality is extremely high and it could turn out to be one of the better Oaks renewals of recent years. Michael Bell's Sariska won the Musidora Stakes in impressive fashion and is the narrow favourite at [4.1] whilst Henry Cecil's Midday [4.6] could not have been more impressive when trouncing the field at Lingfield last time out and John Gosden's Rainbow View [4.4] was staying on well in the 1000 Guineas, suggesting this distance will be more to her liking.

4:50 Investec Surrey Stakes

A Listed event for three-year-olds run over seven furlongs that has been of variable quality in the past. The field looks like being a mixture of those horses that will get further in time and those for whom this specialist distance is their maximum. Add in the odd completely unexposed horse, such as the once raced Mastoora from the William Haggas stable and you have a recipe for a potentially scrappy race that might be one to tread carefully in.

5:25 Investec Opportunity Stakes
Another seven furlong event confined to three-year-olds, this handicap could prove to be more competitive than the preceding contest. Fifteen horses go to post and with this size of field, the draw becomes a more significant factor for punters to consider. Richard Hannon has won two of the last three renewals of this race and he runs the unexposed and in-form Shamwari Lodge this time.