2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips – DS
2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips
What a weekend we have ahead of us. On Friday, we have the Oaks and on Saturday the big one, The Derby. We have runner by runner guides for both races, Derby preview is here and Oaks is here. Our 2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival tips for live ITV races are below.
2.00 – Woodcote Stakes (Class 2)
The 2yos open the show on Derby weekend in this 6f conditions race. A dozen are due to go to post and at this trip, a low draw is usually an advantage. Eve Johnson Houghton is in fine form at the moment and she runs Bobsleigh here.
By Elzaam, this already gelded juvenile made a winning debut at Brighton (5.5f gd/fm) a month ago. He wasn’t the quickest away and he was a little bit keen in the middle part of the race, but he still managed to win convincingly by nearly 3L. The runner up went close next time out and the 6th won on her next start so it looks pretty okay form.
Brighton is a turning, undulating track so that experience should serve him well around here. Thirteen of Eve Johnson Houghton’s last nineteen runners have finished in the first four and it looks like Bosleigh was put away with this race in mind. He has a decent enough draw in stall 6, hopefully he can make it two wins from two at odds of 12/1.
2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips: Bobsleigh e/w @ 12/1 (4 places) nb
2.35 – Racehorse Lotto Handicap (Class 2)
We backed Maysong earlier this month at Doncaster and he just failed to get up at 25/1. My main angle there was his ability to handle heavy ground and while it will be completely different conditions today, I still think he is capable of hitting the frame.
He went on and won his next start after we backed him, scoring by 2L off 76 at Redcar on soft. He was pretty well beat the next twice, off 81 on both occasions, but you could excuse his last run at Chester as he was drawn out in the car park over 7f.
Stepping back up to a mile will suit and while he handles soft, he also acts on faster ground. Last July he was beat just 0.5L over this C&D off 76 and that was on good to firm. He came back in September when the ground was heavy and again finished 2nd off 77. Overall, his form figures on good or quicker at a mile read 4212227.
Is he thrown in off 80? No, but he has a nice enough draw in 7 and he’s almost certain to be trying his best in a race worth as much as this. Kieran O’Neill retakes the ride, Alice Haynes has had three winners from her last nine runners so at 25/1, Maysong can hopefully run into the places.
2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips: Maysong e/w @ 25/1 NAP (4 places)
3.10 – Coronation Cup (Group 1)
Unfortunately, there is no Pyledriver lurking in the Coronation Cup this year. Just the five run and last year’s Derby third and Irish Derby winner Westover is 9/4 to get back to winning ways. He’ll face last season’s Oaks runner up Emily Upjohn and there is nothing between them on the figures.
Hurricane Lane adds further intrigue and the resurgent Point Lonsdale will be looking to land his first G1. The German raider Tunnes is the only horse at double figure odds and it looks like he wants softer ground than this. An easy race to swerve, No bet.
2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips: No bet
3.45 – Betfred Handicap (Class 2)
I was rubbing my hands together earlier this week when I saw Toshizou chalked up at 25s. Unfortunately, I must not have been alone because he has been hammered into just 8/1 and the e/w value has gone. This step up in trip will suit, he’ll like the ground and he is well handicapped on his Limerick run behind Breaking Story last April. Unfortunately, he is gone too short for the blog so hopefully he bumps into one or two again.
Instead, I’m going to bank on the class of Cadillac. Formerly trained by Jessie Harrington, this horse was a pattern level performer in Ireland. He was a Listed winner as recently as last June and he finished 2nd in Listed heats at Ascot and Newbury on his last two runs over 10f on quick ground.
Inauspicious Start
Now trained by George Boughey, he made an inauspicious start for his new yard on his handicap debut at Newmarket (9f gd/sft). To be fair, he shaped well enough until around 2f out when his lack of a recent run and the soft ground probably took its toll. Ryan Moore minded him once his chance had gone and he let him come home in his own time.
The handicapper dropped him to 105 for that effort and Kevin Stott takes over in the plate. He has an excellent record for in form Boughey, 34/155 with 56 top 4 finishes. Boughey has had 3 winners and 6 top 3 finishers from just 17 runners at Epsom and there is every chance Cadillac can improve on that record with fast ground and 10f to suit. At odds of 14/1, he is the e/w selection.
2023 Friday Epsom Derby Festival Tips: Cadillac e/w @ 14/1
4.30 – Betfred Oaks (Group 1)
We have already backed a horse for this race, check out our runner by runner guide here.
