CORONATION CUP – Winner Pyledriver Owner: La Pyle Partnership Trainer: William Muir & Chris Grassick Jockey: Martin Dwyer Odds: 8/1 One of the best stories from Epsom was the win of PYLEDRIVER from a largely unheralded yard and a small group of owners whose decision to repeatedly turn down...
OAKS – Winner Snowfall Owner: Smith, Magnier & Tabor Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Jockey: Frankie Dettori Odds: 11/2 A modest 2yo by Ballydoyle standards, SNOWFALL is making an early claim to be racehorse of 2021 after an extraordinary 16l demolition job of the Oaks field. An all the way winner...
The two day Epsom fixture last weekend brought us two wide margin classic winners and a cracking duel for the Coronation Cup. We managed to pick out placed horses each-way in the Classics with Divinely (20/1) and Hurricane Lane (6/1). But how did those races rate against previous renewals?...
Epsom selections Saturday 5th June Derby Day and we have an unusual situation for the big race with Aidan O’Brien saddling just one runner for the first time since Galileo won in 2001. Does that suggest he thinks favourite Bolshoi Ballet is unbeatable, or are his crop of 3yo...
Epsom selections Friday 4th June The Epsom Derby meeting is restored to its natural position of the first weekend in June for 2021 and the opening day sees both the Coronation Cup and Oaks as Group 1 highlights. I have a selection for the third Classic of the year,...
Nineteen horses were confirmed at the six day stage for the 2021 Epsom Derby and as usual Aidan O’Brien is well represented with six horse currently set to run. Three sires, Galileo, Frankel and Camelot dominate the leading contenders and we have summarised their prospects and likelihood of staying...
The 1981 Derby, the 202nd renewal of the classic, saw an odds on favourite in Shergar take on 17 rivals, in what was a typically big field in those days. What was notable was there was not a single Irish runner in the race, with two French raiders, although...
At the weekend the six day entries were confirmed for the Oaks at Epsom on Friday. Fifteen horses remain, including the usual strong contingent from Ballydoyle. We analyse the fillies most likely to land the big prize on the Downs. DIVINELY Did win a Group 3 at the Curragh...
We are always guaranteed to get some strong trials at York’s Dante meeting and we saw some likely Classic challengers in the two big trial races on the Knavesmire this week. Wednesday’s Musidora threw up a convincing winner in SNOWFALL. She looked pretty exposed after a juvenile career that...
Derby trials over weekend produce one outstanding candidate BOLSHOI BALLET was an impressive winner of the Derristown Derby Trial on Sunday at Leopardstown and as a result is now a clear favourite for the Epsom Derby on 6th June. Sitting handily behind the Jim Bolger pacemaker throughout, Ryan Moore...
