Epsom returns for its second day of Classic action with the Betfred Derby taking centre stage. Daily tipster Sam King is back with three selections for this superb Saturday’s racing including one in the big one!
Where better to start than the Epsom Derby itself. This years' renewal looks wide-open and with questions marks over the majority towards the top of the market, it looks a fascinating betting heat. Auguste Rodin is clearly better than he showed when very disappointing at Newmarket, but I can't be backing a horse at his price following such a poor effort. Military Order looks the most solid towards the top of the market to me, but his yard don't seem to be firing on all cylinders and I'd rather take a chance on Dubai Mile.
The Charlie Johnston team are really beginning to find their stride with an impressive 24% strike-rate over the last 14 days ago and had a one/two here yesterday. This son of Roaring Lion looks overpriced in a wide-open contest.
Dubai Mile beat Arrest in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10f last season and is over five times Arrest's current price. The 2000 Guineas is widely renowned as the best Derby trial around he shaped highly encouragingly when a staying on fifth at Newmarket last month. The quicker ground shouldn't be too much of an issue given he won on good-to-firm as a two-year-old and I'm hopeful of a big run with improvement to come going up in distance.
Selection: Dubai Mile - General 25/1
We head to Doncaster for our second selection and I'm quite sweet on the chances of Prosper Legend in the Chris Shaw's 60th Birthday CMT Ltd Handicap.
William Haggas' runner was more than entitled to win his maiden at Catterick last-time-out. He'll obviously need to improve to defy this mark on his handicap debut but there's every chance of that happening now going up in distance.
The son of Australia always looked as though staying would be his forte and an opening mark of 83 may well underestimate him with this stiffer stamina test an obviously angle for notable improvement.
Selection: Prosper Legend - General 10/3
Our third and final selection comes from Lingfield. The Age UK Supporting Older People Handicap at 6.10 has attracted a decent field of nine and Citizen General can follow up his recent impressive course success.
The Ed Dunlop yard can't stop having winners at present and this improving four-year-old was value for much more than the two-length winning margin that day. It certainly wasn't the first time Ed Dunlop has used the first-time visor to great effect this season and he looked a different proposition when fitted with that headgear over 1m5f here recently.
A 5lb rise in the weights looks lenient and although he finished behind the reopposing Appier at Newcastle, I'm fully expecting him to reverse the form around with the blinkers applied once more.
Selection: Citizen General - General 10/3
