It’s day one of the Epsom Derby Festival on Saturday, which means it’s Derby Day. So, here are my ITV Epsom racing tips for all the live races on Saturday 6th June.
Winners last Saturday for Andy Newton included Washington Heights (9/2), Sportingsilvermine (7/2), Opportunity (11/10), Estrange (8/11) and Blue Courvoisier (5/1).
With the first six Epsom races on Saturday also on ITV Racing.
Epsom Horse Racing Tips: Quickfire Best Bets For Saturday
- 1:30 Epsom: NEVER SO BRAVE
- 2:05 Epsom: SPARKS FLY
- 2:40 Epsom: JAN BRUEGHEL
- 3:15 Epsom: STORMY IMPACT / DREAM COMPOSER
- 4:00 Epsom Derby: MALTESSE CROSS (e/w)
- 4:40 Epsom: YORK TOWER
- 5:20 Epsom: TOO SOON (NAP)
🎙️You can also catch Andy’s Epsom Saturday views on the Final Furlong Podcast here.
Andy Newton Epsom Horse Racing Tips: Maltese To Make His Rivals Cross
13:30 EPSOM Betfred Tattenham Corner Stakes (Group 3) (Formerly The John Of Gaunt Stakes) Cl1 (4yo+) 7f ITV
NEVER SO BRAVE can take the opening Derby Day race for Oisin Murphy and Andrew Balding.
This 5yold blew away the cobwebs at Sandown in April in the G2 bet365 Mile and will be spot-on for this.
Is also down in grade this time, the ground will be fine and having won over a mile, the ease back to 7f should be perfect in conditions.
Alcantor for Oaks duo Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMongle and the winner of the race last year Ten Bob Tony, whey staged at Haydock, can do best of the rest.
🥇 NEVER SO BRAVE
🥈 Alcantor
🥉 Ten Bob Tony
14:05 EPSOM Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Group 3)Cl1(3yo+) 1m½f ITV
With a bit more rain potentially on the cards, then the David Loughnane runner SPARKS FLY gets the nod here.
She ran a blinder behind last year’s Derby winner Lambourn in the Huxley Stakes at Chester last month and this will be easier back in grade.
This 6yold has has recorded all 12 career wins with some sort of ‘soft’ in the ground and was also a fair third in this same race 12 months ago.
Snowdrop Stakes winner Pina Sonata, Pacific Mission and last season’s demoted French 1000 Guineas winner She’s Perfect are next best.
🥇 SPARKS FLY
🥈 Pina Sonata
🥉 Pacific Mission
14:40 EPSOM Coolmore Coronation Cup (Group 1) Cl1 (4yo+) 1m4f ITV
Calandagan is the clear class act here, but it’s not as if the others aren’t useful – far from it – as we’ve a former Derby (Lambourn) and St Leger (Jan Brueghel) winner in the field.
A lot depends on the ground with Calandagan, as any more rain wouldn’t be ideal and don’t forget he was beaten in this race last year – so does need to prove he’s okay on the track.
Convergent is a classy sort on his day too, but is 0-2 at the top level, while the Derby winner from 2025 Lambourn has 10lbs and 5lbs to find with the first two in the betting.
He’ll be looking to be the first Derby winner to take this since Mill Reef in the early 70’s.
So, I think the safest call here is to side with JAN BRUEGHEL, who took this pot last season.
He’s a tough customer and looked back to his best when winning the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last time.
Aidan O’Brien has 10 wins in this race and also saddled the last ‘back-to-back’ winner of this race in St Nicholas Abbey.
🥇 JAN BRUEGHEL
🥈 Calandagan
🥉 Lambourn
15:15 EPSOM Betfred ‘Dash’ Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (4yo+) 5f ITV
Blink and you’ll miss this one – billed as ‘the fastest 5f race in the world’ – and with that come fine lines and split decisions that can make of break a horses chance here.
Democracy Dilemma is interesting having been 2nd in this race off a higher mark, but still has 9-12 to carry.
So I think the safer calls are to side with the winner of the 3yo Dash last season STORMY IMPACT, who is back only 2lbs higher.
While the 2024 hero of this race DREAM COMPOSER is also returning and is rated 5lbs lower this time – he certainly won’t mind the ground.
Plus a mention to Vintage Clarets, who will surely pop-up at some point rated 83 and was 5th in this last year off a mark of 94.
🥇 STORMY IMPACT
🥈 Dream Composer
🥉 Vintage Clarets
16:00 EPSOM Betfred Derby (Group 1) Cl1 (3yo) 1m4f ITV
Onto the big one and it’s another renewal with many chances.
Benvenuto Cellini is respected after his impressive Chester Vase win last time – but I’m still not 100% sure what he actually beat that day.
He’ll be looking to give Aidan O’Brien a 12th Derby win – however, isn’t much value at 2/1.
Item impressed me in the Dante and is noted too as Andrew Balding hunts his first Derby win. He’s a strong traveller and looks the sort more to come.
Since the Derby starting stalls came in 1967, we’ve weirdly not had a winner from gate 2 or 11. Which isn’t good news if you like Balzac or Action.
So I think I’ll take a chance on the Lingfield Derby Trial winner MALTESE CROSS, especially if the ground comes up soft.
He’s by former Derby winner Sea The Stars and it will be exactly 30 years since William Haggas trained his sole Derby winner – Shaamit in 1996.
Yes, he might just need to find more and might not be the most flashy in his wins. However, I think he’s a gutsy sort and that might be what’s needed if the heavens open.
I’ll take Maltese to make his rivals ‘cross’ and give jockey Tom Marquand a first Derby win.
🥇 MALTESE CROSS
🥈 Item
🥉 Action
16:40 EPSOM Cherryfield (Croydon) Lester Piggott Handicap (Gbbplus Race) Cl2 (3yo 0-100) 1m2f ITV
Another race with a lot of chances – including Hell Yeah He Did, Allegresse and course winner Starlight Time.
But I think the longer trip here will suit YORK TOWER, who could be another winner for the Haggas camp.
He’s bred to want further so having run well over 1m last time on the AW probably wasn’t too bad an effort (3rd).
This will also he his first time in a handicap and an opening mark of 78 looks more than fair to me.
Win, lose or draw here, York Tower looks a horse that could easily ‘climb up’ the ranks in the coming months now upped in trip.
🥇YORK TOWER
🥈Allegresse
🥉Starlight Time
17:20 EPSOM HKJC World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap (Gbblus Race) Cls (4yo+ 0-105) RTV
This race isn’t on ITV Racing, but I do quite like the Moore runner here – TOO SOON.
This course winner probably didn’t stay at Goodwood last time over 1m6f, so the ease back to 1m4f is a plus.
He’s down 2lbs too and also has Warren Fentiman taking off 3lbs more.
The cheekpieces are also interesting and the form of her Ascot 4th recently has been boosted with the third Opportunity winning easily last weekend.
Oh, and his only career win came on heavy ground – so let’s hope the rain comes too – plus the yard took this race 12 months ago.
In short – there’s a lot to like in my book.
Of the rest, the Moores also have Give It To Me Oj, who is noted too.
While the in-form Hengest is also respected for the likeable Dylan Cunha team.
🥇 TOO SOON
🥈 Hengest
🥉 Give It To Me Oj
