THE forecast for Saturday has varied over the last few days in terms of predicted rainfall and currently as of writing early on Friday morning there are 10mms predicted with fortunately a dry afternoon at this stage. Friday will end with good ground, and we will all be keeping an eye on the weather watch for an exciting Cazoo Derby Day. 

In the feature it is hard to get away from the fact that Desert Crown at Unibet 7/4 looks the obvious winner of the Cazoo Derby (In Memory Of Lester Piggott). Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who would be having his first success since Workforce in 2010, had said that Desert Crown would need the race ahead of the Dante but Desert Crown’s emphatic victory has seen him head the market since then. Desert Crown has only had two career starts and his trainer would have preferred another outing, however Workforce was only having his third career start when winning his Derby. Sir Michael has a strong chance of securing his sixth Derby success with Desert Crown, who will relish the trip.

My two each way selections Changingoftheguard and Walk Of Stars both have the right profiles.

Enjoy whether at the Derby or watching the action #athome on ITV or Racing TV.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster

2.00 Epsom – Cazoo Handicap (1m 2f)

Box To Box certainly showed he had progressed from his juvenile career when winning on his sole start this season in May at Salisbury. On that occasion he travelled best in the race and put the race to bed when asked at the furlong pole, winning with a bit in hand. Box To Box stays this trip well, has the excellent Harry Davies claiming a useful 5lb off and happily acts on both quick and slow ground, having been a close third at Nottingham on soft at the back end of last year.

Unibet 10/1 each way

Unibet’s 15 To Go offer is available on this race

2.35 Epsom – Princess Elizabeth Stakes Group 3 (1m ½f)

Majestic Glory won the Sweet Solera in the summer and then lost her form at the back end of last year but looked very much like she’d trained on when third to Wild Beauty at Newbury on her reappearance in a good contest over seven furlongs in April. Majestic Glory is having her first start since then and looked in need of the step back up to a mile and will go well today.

Unibet 9/1 each way

3.10 Epsom – Cazoo Diomed Stakes Group 3 (1m ½f)

Mutasaabeq might be the best equipped to cope with a sprint to the line with no pace on here, as happened at Thirsk two starts ago (closing sectional very fast after they went steady) and as that was on soft ground. He lost nothing in defeat at Sandown last time out over a mile to Lights On when unlucky not to win and beaten a neck on good ground. Mutasaabeq can make amends here for the Charlie Hills team.

Unibet 3/1  

3.45 Epsom – “Dash” Handicap (5f)

Fine Wine (not just because of the name!) is remarkably having his fourteenth start of 2022, which includes eight all weather appearances. This five-year-old has finished in the first four (Unibet paying five places) in eleven of his thirteen starts so far this year and you have to be impressed with his career best performance at York last night out when beating the smart Raasel, who won at Haydock last week. Fine Wine looks like he has not finished progressing yet and he is running at Epsom for the first time, which I can really see suiting this classy front runner.

Unibet 6/1 each way

Tees Spirit is going for a three-timer here having won well at Nottingham last time out in early May after leading throughout. This followed a comfortable victory at Beverley on seasonal debut and this improving four-year-old has strong each way claims.

Unibet 11/1 each way

Unibet’s 15 To Go offer is available on this race

 4.30 Epsom – Cazoo Derby (In Memory Of Lester Piggott) Group 1 (1m 4f)

Changingoftheguard, the son of the much-missed Galileo, was an impressive winner of the Chester Vase over 1m 4½f when taking command early on and beating odds on favourite New London by six and a half lengths in soft conditions. This followed an emphatic success in a maiden at Dundalk and Changingoftheguard clearly has the right profile to run a big race for the Aidan O’Brien team.

Unibet 8/1 each way

Walk Of Stars is trained by Charlie Appleby, who had the 2021 winner with Adayar and who was also second in the Lingfield Derby trial. Walk Of Stars, like Adayar, is having his fifth career start and runs off the same rating of 107. In the Lingfield Derby Trial Walk Of Stars still showed signs of greenness after racing freely and hanging right when runner-up to United Nations. Walk Of Stars gave every impression that he looks the type to take a big step up in performance.

Unibet 14/1 each way