BALLYDOYLE PAIR DRAWN HIGH: The Derby draw today sees 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court going for a Classic double from stall 7. The Aidan O’Brien pair, Delacroix (14) and The Lion In Winter (19), are drawn high.
BULL’S-EYE BETS AT THE CURRAGH: Daqman finds a couple of standouts in the big race at the Curragh today and gives them bull’s-eye status.
LUCKY SEVEN ‘RULING’ STALL?
⭕ 3.30 Epsom, Saturday (Derby Stakes) Pride Of Arras (stall 16) and The Lion In Winter (19) are among market leaders drawn wide at Epsom for Saturday’s Derby in a 19-strong field.
Stanhope Gardens (2) and French raider Midak (4) have both been drawn low.
Stalls 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 have produced 10 out of 12 Derby winners. The two who didn’t fit that parameter were both drawn 1, which is where Rogue Impact will be on Saturday.
* Those with stalls corresponding to recent winners are:
7 Ruling Court (William Buick), 8 Green Storm (Billy Loughnane), 9 Nightime Dancer (Jamie Spencer), 10 Lambourn (-), 12 Tennessee Stud (Dylan Browne McMonagle), 14 Delacroix (-).
BOYFRIEND CAN BEAT BOTTI
⭕ 4.22 Nottingham today Marco Botti, who has just won the Italian Derby for the first time, saddles Thyer who was beaten only a neck here at Nottingham the last day.
But Boyfriend went down only a head in a class 2 at Newbury and will be hard to beat, dropped two grades. The Newbury winner that day is being quoted only 8-1 for the Royal Hunt Cup.
Botti’s Derby winner at Capanelle on Monday was Molveno, a class-4 (twice) and class-5 hat-trick winner on AW (Kempton 2, Newcastle) at the start of the year.
⭕ 7.22 Ripon There are many family affairs in racing but it’s great to see Joanna Mason riding winners (five this year) for her 93-year-old grandad Mick, the Easterby legend.
Joanna has excelled in the last four days when entrusted by William Haggas to win cleverly for Daqman on Supermodel at Nottingham, and Glory Hyde for in-form Roger Fell.
Well-drawn Catton Lady is on a career-low mark for her at Ripon today. The filly’s record of eight times placed out of 11 starts had put here up a few pounds too high. Now she looks good each-way (10.0 offers on Betdaq Betting Exchange this morning).
SO SMOOTH BULL’S-EYE BETS
⭕ 7.30 Curragh (Race To The Ebor Handicap) Favourites have won every time in four runnings of this, with three out of four going to four-year-olds and three out of four coming out of stalls 5, 6, 8.
It’s Tim travels over from Newmarket for George Boughey, who has booked an Irish rider, Declan McDonagh.
Landed a low-level four-timer as favourite every time, three at odds on, but up 12lb for class-5 defeat the last day.
Mr Percy won a Grade-2 hurdle in April, for a rating rise to 138 which gives him a grand chance on the Flat with 87 and claimed off.
Three-time Listed winner and twice Group placed, Harbour Wind, who is earmarked for the Melbourne Cup, goes well fresh for this handicap debut but giving lumps of weight.
Zanndabad was Scottish County Hurdle runner-up and Chester Vase third last Spring but hasn’t won a race since October, 2022 on very soft ground.
The Mares Novices runner-up at the Cheltenham Festival, Sixandahalf had been third in the Irish Cesarewitch.
Placed 11 times on Flat turf, Smooth Tom, whose target is the Galway Hurdle, likes to be up with the pace. Third in the Irish Lincolnshire and went clear over hurdles last month.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
★ 4.22 Nottingham (win 20 nap)
BET 15pts win BOYFRIEND
7.22 Ripon (win 20 overall)
BET 2pts win and place CATTON LADY
7.30 Curragh (win-50 bull’s-eye bet)
BET 10pts win MR PERCY
BET 10pts win SMOOTH TOM
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