Sports Blog 03/06/2015: Race Preview – Epsom Oaks & Derby, Friday 5th & Saturday 6th June 2015

It is races 3 and 4 in this season’s British Classics, with the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby set for this Friday and Saturday respectively.

Frontrunner for the Epsom Oaks is winner of the 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket, Legatissimo at 11/4. Ridden by Ryan Moore in that race (and potentially on Friday as well), Legatissimo is aiming to be the first horse to win the 1000 Guineas Stakes/Oaks back-to-back since Kazzia back in 2002.

Not far behind Legatissimo is Crystal Zvezda at 10/3; Zvezda is the other major possibility for star rider Ryan Moore going into the Oaks, and the horse is in fine form at the moment, holding off Legatissimo to win the Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury back in May.



Next is the Jessica Harrington-trained Jack Naylor at 6/1, who finished fourth at the Irish 1000 Guineas. Hot on the heels of Jack Naylor is Diamondsandrubies at 7/1, which was in sparkling (pardon the pun) form at the start of May, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained horse stormed to victory at the Cheshire Oaks.

The top two at the Musidora Stakes follow, with the second place Together Forever at 9/1 followed the Stakes winner Star of Seville at 12/1. The latter was ridden by Frankie Detori in the middle of May when he beat Together by a head, with Detori labelling Seville a ‘bit quirky’ after the horse seemed to stick her head up towards the end of the race.

Also at 12/1 is Jazzi Top, who is set to be ridden by Frankie Detori in the Oaks on Friday, whilst the emphatic winner of Goodwood’s Listed Height of Fahsion Stakes Lady of Dubai is at 14/1. Al Naamah, the horse which broke the record fee for a yearling in 2013, is at 18/1.

Completing the field for the Epsom Oaks is Bellajeu, Wedding Vow and Local Time, all at 50/1, with Qualify at 80/1.

Saturday then sees the Epsom Derby, with a crowded field of fancied horses, favourite of which is Golden Horn at 7/4. Interestingly, the horse’s owner Anthony Oppenheimer originally didn’t want to pay the £76,000 supplementary entrance fee because he felt Golden Horn wouldn’t be able to stay the distance; however, after talks with trainer John Gosden, Oppenheimer changed his mind and now the horse goes into the Derby as the favourite. Golden Horn will be ridden by the world Frankie Detori, who rode the horse to victory at the Listed Feilden Stakes, and won the Derby back in 2007.

Hot on Golden Horn’s heels is his stable Jack Hobbs, at 11/2. Jack Hobbs is likely to be ridden by William Buick, who won the Dante Stakes at York riding the aforementioned favourite. Interestingly, Jack Hobbs came in second in that race, ridden by the now Golden Horn-riding Frankie Detori.

There has been a bit of doubt thrown on the appearance of now joint second favourite Zawraq, at 11/2, since the horse suffered a minor leg injury in a bit of work on Tuesday. It will be a shame if Zawraq fails to make an appearance since he was for many the favourite for the race, especially after he breezed to victory in the Leopardstown 2000 Guinea Trial Stakes.



Priced at 13/2 is Giovanni Canaletto, whose odds were significantly shortened when it was announced that Ryan Moore would be the rider. This is understandable since Moore won the Derby on Canaletto’s brother Ruler of the World back in 2013, as well as winning it on Workface in 2010. This horse is also Aidan O’Brien’s best chance of breaking his own record for consecutive wins at the Derby, after training the winning horse for the past 3 years.

Next is Elm Park at 15/2, who will be ridden by last year’s second-place jockey Andrea Atzeni. The horse finished third at the Dante Stakes and got a feel for the course during a Breakfast for the Stars event at Epsom last week. Following Elm Park is Chester Vase winner Hans Holbein at 12/1; winning that race is a good omen, since Ruler of the World achieved the same feat before taking the Derby back in 2013.

Winner of the Ballysax and the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Success Days, is at 16/1, whilst Kilimanjaro is at 18/1. The latter is the winner of the Lingfield Derby, but more importantly will be ridden by the very successful and very young, Jospeh O’Brien, who won the Derby in both 2012 and 2014. However this is somewhat of a downgrade for Aidan O’Brien’s son since his struggles to make weight meant he couldn’t ride Giovanni Canaletto’s, his father’s Derby frontrunner.

Rounding out the field is Epicuris at 20/1, Storm the Stars at 25/1, Moheet at 40/1 with Best of Times at 66/1, Rogue Runner and Rocky Rider both at 100/1 and Carbon Dating at 250/1.

Make sure to check out all the latest racing odds at Spreadex, and take a look at the Spreadex sponsored Timeform guide for the Oaks and Derby.