After a cracking day of racing on Oaks day, we have Derby Day to look forward to on Saturday! I’ve got two picks for the Epsom card – my pick for the Epsom Dash, plus my Derby tip, where I’m playing it safe and backing A P O’Brien to win the race yet again.
2:45 Epsom – JER BATT (5/1 generally)
In a race of this nature, it can often pay to look at the trends of recent winners of the race:
- The last six winners were aged 4-6.
- The last six winners carried 8st 13lbs or less.
- Four of the last five winners were drawn in stall 10 or lower.
There’s a few that meet these trends, but the one I feel has the most compelling claims is JER BATT.
The five-year-old is on a competitive mark and has been running well this year, finishing third in the Scottish Sprint Cup on his season reappearance, before finishing fifth at Chester last time out. Oisin Murphy has been booked for the ride, which is a positive to his chances – he’s been on board the horse one before, finishing a close runner-up on his last start of 2024.
It’s a wide-open race, but I think Jer Batt has strong claims, and is just about an each-way price in my view. With the majority of bookies offering five places, he looks a great each-way bet, and can hopefully go on and win!
3:30 Epsom – DELACROIX (4/1 generally)
A P O’Brien has a superb record in the race, winning five of the last eight renewals, including the most recent two runnings of the Derby. He has three runners in the race this year, and the one I think has the best chance is DELACROIX.
He was a Group 3 winner as a 2YO and was perhaps unfortunate not to win a Group 1, having gone agonisingly close in the Futurity Stakes, and he’s improved as a three-year-old this year. He justified his short odds to win the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal reappearance, and returned to the same venue to run out a comfortable winner of the Derby Trial.
With Ryan Moore booked to ride, that is a sign in itself that Delacroix is the pick of the O’Brien horses this year, and I think he can continue his unbeaten start to this season here, at the chief expense of Pride Of Arras, who looks the biggest danger to the selection.
SATURDAY SELECTIONS
2:45 Epsom – JER BATT (5/1 generally)
3:30 Epsom – DELACROIX (4/1 generally)
*Odds correct at time of posting – 4:20pm Friday 6th June
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Please note that although Tom has uploaded the tips, he is not our Racing Club Insider – the insider will remain anonymous!
