Epsom Saturday Preview - 04/06/22

The first selection on the Saturday at Epsom comes in the Class 2 Cazoo Handicap over 1m2f and at an each way price War Horse For Marco Botti should keep improving.

The three year old improved for every run as a juvenile, stepping up to 10f on his final start last year at Goodwood and got off the mark in a good Maiden Stakes.

Returning in March this season at Doncaster he was a good second of eight in a Class 3 Handicap behind Derby entry Grand Alliance.

Sent back over the same course and distance he was strangely below par, but putting that run behind him in a much better race last time out at Sandown he got back to winning ways.

Only up 2lb for that win leaves him on a handy mark of 87 and there looks to be more to come from this horse.

The first big race of the afternoon is the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes over 8.5f and another at a price we are taking a chance on is Majestic Glory for Andrew Balding.

Majestic Glory is a well bred daughter of Frankel that showed enough form last term to make us think she will train on and be better as a three year old.

Needing her first run at Wolves, she then went over 6f at Newbury and finished a neck second and backed that up at Newmarket over the same trip when getting off the mark at the third time of asking.

Stepped up to seven furlongs on the Rowley Mile in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes she made it back to back wins, comfortably beating a G1 winner in Wild Beauty who she opposes again.

She was then tried in the G2 Rockfel Stakes and G1 Fillies’ Mile when being well beaten in both but returned this season in much better form.

Sent over seven furlongs in the Group Three Fred Darling Stakes she finished a staying on third behind two nice types to suggest that the step up in trip today will suit.

Each way player having been saved for this event.

Another Group Three follows with the Diomed Stakes seeing a small but select field heading to post and Mutasaabeq for Charlie Hills is our pick.

A very likeable four year old for a top yard and connections who now looks to be turning into the horse they thought he would.

A smart juvenile winning his first event over 7f at Newmarket, he was then saved for his three year old career and made it back to back wins over the same course and distance.

Sent into the 2000 Guineas off the back of that run he could only finish a mid-field seventh on the day finishing behind some talented milers.

Looking to bounce back he ran no race in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, but then at Haydock in July he got back on track when bolting up in a Conditions Stakes.

However, up into Group Two company at Goodwood in the Celebration Mile he again flopped and left his trainers head scratching.

Now a four year old he seems to have matured a great deal and really knows his job, showing this on seasonal debut over 7f at Thirsk when easily landing a Conditions Stakes.

Trying to build on that he ran a cracker in the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown when a neck second behind the talented Lights On.

The way he got going late on that day the extra half a furlong will suit in this and getting a much clearer passage he should go close.

Value player.

One of the trickiest races from a punting perspective to go through at Epsom across the two days is the Epsom Dash over 5f and with that in mind have two selections for the 20 runner race.

The first is the Adam West trained Live In the Dream that has turned into a serious sprinter this season and only a few pounds higher in the handicap can keep improving.

Needing his first two runs of the campaign, he then went to Sandown on quick ground and went on to bolt up in a classy handicap event, slipping the field from the gates.

Up to a mark of 92 he went to Chester on slower ground and it was no problem with his pace coming to the forefront and him landing another nice handicap event.

Up to a mark of 99 but with talented 3lb claimer Sean Kirrane taking some weight off he is effectively racing off just 4lb higher for this race and that makes him interesting if in the same form.

Another horse in the race that took the eye is the course specialist Mokaatil for Ian Williams, with this gelding doing his best work at this track.

Racing five times this season his one win came over course and distance when easily taking a Class handicap off a mark of 82.

Mokaatil also landed this event last year off a mark of 82 and with Harry Davies taking 5lb off of his current mark of 87, he effectively races off the same handicap mark as he last two wins at the track.

He can't be ignored in this race having also not ran bad races at tracks he does not take to the last twice.

The feature race of the afternoon at Epsom is the Group One Derby in memory of the great Lester Piggott and with 17 runners heading to post we have two selections for the event.

The first pick ahead of the great race from us is the Sir Michael Stoute trained Desert Crown who looks to be the freak in the field, for the handler who has previous winning this race.

The three year old son of Nathaniel was a 280,000gns purchase as a yearling and has been seen twice to date, winning both events emphatically.

Running once last season as a juvenile over 8.5f at Nottingham in November, the colt went on to beat a smart field by close to six lengths.

Saved for this season and said to be only 80% fit for his first outing in the Group Two Dante Stakes at York, he went on to rout a good field by nearly four lengths.

The performance was extremely taking and with him set to improve in a big way for the run he is very hard to look past.

We also have an each way play in the race and having been supplemented for the race Nations Pride for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, could run the favourite close.

A smart juvenile last term the son of Teofilo made his debut at Yarmouth in September when finishing second over 7f, but then upped to a mile next time out on the all weather he got off the mark in taking style.

Finishing off last season over 10f at Chelmsford he was impressive once more in a Conditions Stakes event, winning by three lengths.

Unsure just how good this colt could be, he returned as a three year old this term over 10f again, this time at Meydan and in the Jumeirah Derby he went on to win by nearly four lengths.

Stepping into Listed company at Newmarket when last seen in April he beat a small but smart field of runners by seven lengths, in what was a very taking performance.

It is very telling just how good he is to be supplemented for this race, with two more good Godolphin runners in the field already and at around a general 6/1, he could go close.

The final selection of the afternoon on Saturday at Epsom is the Class 2 Handicap over six furlongs and we are taking a chance on Alligator Alley for David O'Meara.

Formerly a smart juvenile for Joseph O'Brien landing a Listed event over 5f at York, he slightly lost his way and this year was moved to O'Meara.

Seen three times for the Yorkshire handler this term he made a good debut at Wolverhampton behind two smart types in Tone The Barone and Highfield Princess, with the latter since franking the form.

Sent to York next time out he ran a cracker to finish fourth of 13 in a good Class 2 Handicap where the second has since franked the form in better company.

Last time out he ran no race over the same course and distance and we are happy to forgive him for that putting it down to a blip.

This has seen him go down to a career low mark of 92 and off that he could go close.