2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Preview & Tips

Cardiff By The Sea landed our e/w NB with a place in the Queen Mary on Day 2. My 2025 Royal Ascot Thursday tips are below.

2.30 – Norfolk Stakes (Group 2)

A 5f burn up kicks off proceedings on Day 3 and sixteen juveniles have been declared. The Ballydoyle No Nay Never colt Charles Darwin heads the betting at around 13/8 and his chance is obvious. He looked an exciting prospect when hosing up over 6f on soft ground at Navan and he followed up in a four runner race at Naas, beating Cardiff By The Sea by 3.25l over 5f on good ground.

The worry for me with this horse is whether he’ll be comfortable on rattling quick ground. His full brother Blackbeard came into the Coventry Stakes with a similar reputation in 2022 and lost his unbeaten record on good to firm ground. Maybe he’ll be fine, but at the prices I believe he might be worth taking on.

The one that interests me at a price is the Andrew Balding trained Comical Point. By Blue Point, this colt got off the mark at the first attempt in a modest looking maiden at Salisbury last month. The form is certainly nothing special on paper but Balding’s two year olds often need their debut runs so when he has a first time out winner, they are usually pretty useful.

Back in 2021, Berkshire Shadow won a similar sort of maiden at Newbury on debut and then went on to win the Coventry on his next start. He ran to an RPR of 84 on his first day at school and Comical Point ran to 82. Oisin Murphy, who also rode Berkshire Shadow, gets the leg up and while his draw in stall 6 is on the low side, with just sixteen runners it shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience. At odds of 28/1, Comical Point is the e/w selection.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Comical Point e/w @ 28/1 (4 places)

3.05 – King George V Stakes Handicap (Heritage)

A high draw has usually been a plus in this 1m4f handicap for the 3yos. This is reflected in the market though with the top three in the betting drawn 21, 20 and 17. The one I like is also drawn high but he is a much bigger price at odds of 22/1.

As regular readers know, I am usually reluctant to back horses on their handicap debuts. However, these 3yo only races are usually full of handicap debutants so I am going to make an exception with the Joseph O’Brien trained Omni Man.

He gets in here off a mark of 90 and that could prove to be lenient. On his seasonal reappearance, his second ever run, he went close at Navan (8f, good) behind Mississippi River, to whom he was conceding 5lb. That horse has since run well in handicaps off 85 and 90. In second that day was Zahrann, and he is now rated 105 after winning a Listed heat at Leopardstown on his next start.

Omni Man probably didn’t appreciate the soft ground when beaten at Cork on his next start but the step up to 10.5f and return to quicker conditions saw him hose up in a four runner maiden at Roscommon where he beat an 85 rated rival by over seven lengths.

By Invincible Spirit, he is a half-brother to winners at up to 1m6f on the Flat and 2m5f over jumps, including Jack Darcy who won a G2 over 12.5f. That suggests he’ll relish this step up in trip and he’ll also have the assistance of the top class Dylan Browne-McMonagle in the saddle. He’s been drawn in 16, which is another positive, so at 22/1 Omni Man has to be worth chancing e/w.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Omni Man e/w @ 22/1 (5 places)

3.40 – Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)

Hennry De Bromhead had a lovely winner here earlier in the week and I think Hollys Graces might outrun her odds for him in this 1m4f Group 2. This daughter of Australia first came to my attention when I was doing the Racing Post spotlights for her debut over 7f at Dundalk last September. She had shown a nice bit of promise in a barrier trial in August and she duly went and won first time up.

That form has taken a few knocks since but she could only beat what was in front of her. She was left off for the winter after that run and reappeared in the Listed Oaks Trial at Naas last month. She was held up and she got outpaced when the leaders turned the screw in the home straight but I thought she kept on pretty nicely and she was far from disgraced, finishing 5.5l behind the winner.

Her pedigree suggests she’ll relish the step up to 1m4f, as did that run at Naas. I also think the quick ground at Ascot will be right up her alley and as an added bonus, De Bromhead has secured the services of Colin Keane. This doesn’t look the strongest of Group 2s, hopefully Hollys Graces can hit the frame at odds of 33/1.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Hollys Graces e/w @ 33/1

4.20 – Gold Cup (Group 1)

I am not a huge fan of these staying races. Usually, the market principals come to the fore and with Kyprios now retired, this looks a good opportunity for either Trawlerman, Illinois or Sweet William to get their heads in front. If I were having a bet, I’d probably side with Sweet William at the prices but at around 8/1, he’s just a shade too short for this blog.

I am happy to just watch this race. No bet.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: No bet

5.00 – Britannia Stakes Handicap (Heritage)

A battle charge. Thirty 3yo runners over the straight mile and usually, a high draw is favoured. The one I’ll be taking a chance on at a working man’s price is the Ian Williams trained son of Blue Point, Supido.

Formerly trained in France by Philippe Decouz, this gelding showed some smart form as a juvenile. Placed in a 7f listed heat at Vichy last July and beaten just 1.5l when fifth in a G3 at Baden Baden, both over 7f, he won his only start at a mile in a conditions race at Saint-Malo in August.

Current connections bought him for 90 grand at the Arqana sales in October and he started out for Williams in a Chester handicap over 7.5f (good) early last month. Billy Loughnane, who also rides today, dropped him out early, switched very wide in the straight and his mount ran on very nicely in the closing furlong to finish a never nearer fifth.

Loughnane wasn’t overly hard on Supido and it looked like a prep run for a bigger prize to my eye. He’s been handed a nice draw in stall 31, Ian Williams has been amongst the winners and on the evidence of that Chester run, this horse is more than capable of winning off his mark of 93. At odds of 50/1, Supido is the each way selection.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Supido e/w @ 50/1 (4 places 1/4 odds) NB

5.35 – Hampton Court Stakes (Group 3)

A few of the Derby also rans line up in this 10f Group 3 but the one I am going to take a chance on is having his first start in stakes company. Arabian Force, trained by William Haggas, steps up in class after winning a pair of novices, at Wetherby (1m, gd-fm) and then at Salisbury (1m2f, gd-fm).

Beaten on debut at Kempton in April, the money came for him on his second start at Wetherby and he duly obliged, though he was pushed to the pin of his collar by Hymnbook, a winner of a maiden since. Haggas stepped him up in trip at Salisbury and, despite still looking a bit green, he hacked up by 5l, beating Gladius, since a winner off 87 in a handicap.

He’s bred to be a stakes horse, being by a top notch sire and out of a sister to Rizeena, the winner of the 2014 Coronation Stakes at this venue. Tom Marquand (10/48 with 14 top 4s for ths owner) takes over in the plate and this horse will relish the quick conditions in Berkshire. At odds of 20/1, Arabian Force is worth backing e/w.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Arabian Force e/w @ 20/1

6.10 – Buckingham Palace Stakes Handicap (Class 2)

Four of the five runnings of this race have been won by horses drawn 24 or higher. The favourite, last year’s winner English Oak, has a nice draw in stall 27 but he’s far too short for this blog. My nemesis, and the 2023 winner, Witch Hunter has been drawn in stall 8 so he looks to be up against it but with me not tipping him, his chance is massively enhanced.

The one I’ll take a chance on from stall 25 is Divine Libra. Trained by Charlie Hills, this 5yo son of Dark Angel finished sixth of 26 in this race last year off 95. He was beaten 6.25l for the win but he didn’t get the clearest of runs and he was only 2l behind Carrytheone in third.

Divine Libra is back for a repeat bid off 1lb lower and he had a lovely prep run at Chester last month. Top Aussie pilot James McDonald comes in for the ride and he hasn’t been beaten that far on his two previous runs over C&D on good to firm ground. He was beaten 0.75l off this mark at Chester last year so he is capable of going close off this mark and if he gets a bit of luck in running, Divine Libra can hopefully hit the frame at odds of 16/1.

2025 Royal Ascot Thursday Tip: Divine Libra e/w @ 16/1 (6 places) NAP

-DaveStevos

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Preview & Tips

We fired in a 25/1 winner on Day 1, my 2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday tips are below.

2.30 – Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)

A nice and easy start to the day with a 25 runner race for 2yo fillies. The one I am interested in here at around 16/1 is the Fozzy Stack trained filly, Cardiff By The Sea. This daughter of St Mark’s Basilica was thrown in at the deep end on debut at Naas.

She took on a talented Ballydoyle colt who had won his maiden by almost 6l at Navan on his previous start and he is now 13/8 for the Norfolk. Cardiff By The Sea kept the 1/14fav honest, and while she was beaten over 3l in the end, she should improve massively for that initial experience.

Her pedigree suggests that she is the type for Royal Ascot too. Her half-bother, Al Qudra, was beaten just a length in the Coventry Stakes last year and is now rated 110. Her dam won a 5f Listed race as a 2yo too, so she is bred to be a smart 2yo and the booking of Oisin Murphy also catches the eye.

With four places on offer, Cardiff By The Sea is worth backing e/w at odds of 16/1.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Cardiff By The Sea e/w @ 16/1 (4 places) NB

3.05 – Queen’s Vase (Group 2)

This looks a pretty open renewal. Of those at the top of the market Paddy Twomey’s unbeaten Wootton Bassett colt Carmers probably has the most solid profile as he is already a 1m5f winner at listed level and another furlong shouldn’t pose any problems.

Quite a few will need to improve plenty for the step up to 1m6f and after he produced a career best upped to 1m4f on his last start at Leopardstown, perhaps Titanium Emperor will improve even further for the extra two furlongs here.

Unraced at two, this son of Night Of Thunder had previously raced exclusively at a mile. He won his debut at Dundalk impressively at that distance and he wasn’t disgraced in a 1m listed race at Newcastle on his second start.

Last time out he stepped up to 1m4f and after getting a shade outpaced, he ran on pretty takingly in the final furlong to finish fourth, 4l behind the winner Zahrann who is 8/1 for the King Edward VII stakes. On that evidence this trip is definitely worth a go and while his pedigree may say otherwise, sometimes you just have to trust your eye. At odds of 66/1 a small e/w interest on Titanium Emperor is advised.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Titanium Emperor e/w @ 66/1

3.40 – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2)

This has the look of a race that will be dominated by the horses at the top of the market. We backed Fallen Angel on her seasonal return at Newbury last month and while she didn’t win or place, it was a run full of promise and I was hoping she’d go for a G1 on her next start so we’d get a decent price for her again. However, Karl Burke has gone for an easier option and she could be the one to be on.

Cinderella’s Dream returned from a winter break in Dubai with a dominant win at Newmarket and she, along with One Look, look the main dangers. Last year’s winner Running Lion can’t be discounted either dropped back to a mile.

The French raider Start of Day could go well at a price returned to quick ground but he needs to improve a chunk to be competitive with the top rated ones in here. I am going to leave her alone and just watch this race, there’s plenty more opportunities throughout the week. No bet.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: No Bet

4.20 – Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1)

Anmaat and Los Angeles renew rivalries in this 1m2f Group 1 after their thrilling tussle in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. Anmaat travelled like a dream throughout the race and when he drew upsides the Ballydoyle horse, it looked a case of how far he would win by, but Los Angeles dug deep and found more and repelled the challenge of the Burrow horse by half a length.  

Anmaat did beat Los Angeles in the Champion Stakes here last year but that was on soft ground. He handles quicker conditions fine but whether he has the willingness to knuckle down for a dogfight like Los Angeles has is the burning question. On what we saw at the Curragh, you’d have to fancy Los Angeles to uphold the form.

Overpriced

The overpriced one in here is, without a doubt, Royal Champion. Karl Burke’s son of Shamardal has yet to race on good to firm but his best form is on good so he should relish quick conditions. He finished fourth in a 10f Sandown G2 in April on his return from a couple of months off and he was only 1.5l behind the winner Al Aasy.

Just ahead of him in third was Almaqam, and he won a G3 easily on his next start. See The Fire was 0.5l behind Royal Champion in fifth in receipt of 6lb, she is only getting 3lb here yet Royal Champion is over ten times her price. Now, she did admittedly win a G2 easily at York since but Royal Champion is also entitled to come on for that run and another plus is that he won the Wolferton over C&D last year.

Obviously, the top two in the market are the ones to beat but there isn’t much between the rest of them so at odds of 66/1, Royal Champion is the each way selection.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Royal Champion e/w @ 66/1

5.00 – Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (Heritage)

The one I am interested in for this year’s Royal Hunt Cup is the Kevin Ryan trained Hi Royal. This gelding boasted some extremely smart form as a 3yo. He was beaten just 1.75l by Chaldean in the 2000 Guineas when a 125/1 shot and he proved that was no fluke with a 2.75l third in the Irish version three weeks later.

Unfortunately, the son of Kodiac somewhat lost his way after that Irish Guineas run. He did show some of his old spark on his seasonal reappearance in the G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes (9f, good) last year but again, his form tailed off.

At the end of last season he was gelded and he reappeared in the Thirsk Hunt Cup, running off a mark of 102 on his handicap debut. He ran a stormer behind Flight Plan, taking a while to get going but running on strongly up the inside to get second, 0.5l behind the winner.

The handicapper has given him a 2lb rise for that, which is fair, and I am hoping that he’ll be able to back that up on just his second handicap start. His overall profile suggests that is not a given but hopefully the gelding operation will help him become a more consistent horse. Billy Loughnane is 4/24 with 12 top 4 finishes for this owner, hopefully he can steer Hi Royal into the money at odds of 22/1.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Hi Royal e/w @ 22/1 (6 places)

5.35 – Kensington Palace Stakes Handicap (Class 2)

We backed Julia Augusta last year when she ran a cracker at this meeting in the G2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes. She was only beaten 4.75l by Running Lion but she lost her way in the second part of the season.

David O’Meara lowered her sights on her seasonal reappearance at Epsom twelve days ago, pitching her into a handicap. Running off 97, she ran a fine race to finish third despite racing keenly and she should improve plenty for that first run for 205 days.

The assessor has left her mark alone and on her run here last year (and her G3 third at Epsom) she is surely capable of making an impact off this rating. Danny Tudhope takes the ride, quick ground is fine and at odds of 20/1, Julia Augusta is the each way selection.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Julia Augusta e/w @ 20/1 (6 places) NAP

6.10 – Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed)

Jonny Portman is enjoying a bit of a purple patch at the moment and his son of Galileo Gold, Gorey Gold, could go well for him at a price in this 5f listed sprint. After a promising fifth on debut in a class 2 maiden at Windsor (6f, gd-fm) last month, he absolutely hacked up dropped back to 5.5f at Bath two weeks later.

This gelding hasn’t got the most illustrious of pedigrees but he clearly has a fair amount of ability and he could be very well suited by a strongly run race over a stiff five furlongs. This is obviously a big step up in class against some well-bred sorts from powerful stables but that Bath run was impressive and he deserves a shot at this type of race.

Portman has had five winners from his last sixteen runners, hopefully Gorey Gold can make his presence felt for him here at odds of 28/1.

2025 Royal Ascot Wednesday Tip: Gorey Gold e/w @ 28/1 (4 places)

-DaveStevos

2025 Prix De Diane Preview & Tip

Last year we were a whisker away from landing a 40/1 winner in this race with Survie. All the talk ahead of this year’s renewal has been about Shes Perfect, who, despite the protestations of high profile figures like Matt Chapman, was rightly demoted to second in the French 1000 Guineas last month.

The general consensus seems to be that she will stay this extra two furlongs but that remains to be seen. Her sire Sioux Nation's progeny have had just 4 wins from 75 runners at 10f-11f (3/32 winners to runners). 

She’s a half-sister to four winners and one of them has won over 1m4f on the flat and at 2m3f over hurdles, which is a plus, but the other three did their winning at 6f-1m. The jury is out for me regarding her stamina and if a gun was put to my head, I would guess she won’t stay, especially on soft ground.

Interesting Outsider

Can anything crash the Prix De Diane party at a price? Stephane Pasquier almost sprang a surprise for us last year on Survie and I think his mount Rosa Salvaje might be capable of outrunning her odds for Christopher Head, the trainer of the 2023 winner Blue Rose Cen.

This filly has a pretty different profile to that winner and this will be her first run at the top table. She came up short behind Shes Perfect and Zarigana on her seasonal reappearance in a Longchamp G3 but that was over a mile and she simply got outpaced in the final furlong after being ridden with restraint, which I am not sure she enjoyed. A month later she stepped up to this trip for the first time over this C&D in a lesser race and she made all to win by 1.5L.

Clearly, this is a far tougher assignment but she showed last season she could be competitive at stakes level when splitting subsequent Goffs Millions winner Apples And Bananas and the Epsom Derby runner up Lazy Griff (3.5l behind) in a Listed race at Deauville (1m, soft) in August of last year.

Pedigree

Is she bred to win a G1? Well, her US sire Maximum Security is from the Northern Dancer line and she is among his first crop of 3yos. Her grand-dam, Downthedustyoad, won a Grade 1 at Santa Anita so while she isn’t regally bred, there is at least a G1 winner in there.

We already know for sure she stays 10.5f and we know she has experience of this track. She’s been handed a decent draw in stall 5 so if she gets away well, hopefully Pasquier will be able to get to the front and dictate the pace.

Even if Merrily is there to act as a pacemaker for Coolmore, I don’t think Rosa Salvaje will be inconvenienced by slotting in behind if she does go hell for leather from the front and given that her stamina is assured, a strongly run race might play to her strengths. This looks a pretty open renewal to me and while she clearly needs to improve on what she has shown to date, that is not impossible. At odds of 40/1, Rosa Salvaje is the e/w selection.

2025 Prix De Diane Tip: Rosa Salvaje e/w @ 40/1

-DaveStevos

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post E/W Lucky 15

It’s almost the most wonderful time of the Flat season. In just over a week some the world’s best racehorses will fight it out for honours at Ascot’s Royal Meeting and I am hoping to find a few big priced winners. I have been studying the form and I have four fancies for a 2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post e/w Lucky 15 (and four e/w singles), find out who I am backing below.

Day 1 – Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)

This looks like it could be a cracking renewal. There’s been a couple of shock results in this 1m Group 1 in recent years, including Accidental Agent at 33/1 in 2018 who long time followers will remember fondly. Triple Time won at 33s in 2023 and this year I am hoping that Docklands can spring a surprise.

Trained by Harry Eustace, this race has always been the plan for the son of Massaat. He ran an absolutely massive race in it last year to finish a 2.25l second behind Charyn and that wasn’t his first good run at this venue. He has run at Ascot six times during his career and has posted form figures of 113222.

Clearly, he is something of a course specialist and he acts on quick and soft ground so whatever the weather does won’t be a concern. He has run crackers in both starts this season, albeit at a lower level than this, finishing a 0.5l second to Sardinian Warrior over C&D in a Listed race on his seasonal reappearance and he was a 0.75l third behind Persica in the G3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom last week when not getting the clearest of runs.

With an official rating of 113, he needs to improve to trouble the top rated ones in here but I think, if the race goes his way on a track he loves, he is capable of running to 120. Will that be good enough to win? Maybe not, but it should be enough to get a place and if one or two of the principals aren’t firing, you never know what might happen. At odds of 25/1, Docklands is worth backing e/w.

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post Tip: Docklands e/w @ 25/1

Day 1 – Coventry Stakes (Group 2)

Adrian Murray rarely sends horses to Ascot unless they have a realistic chance and he has nominated Power Blue as his best hope of a winner this year. I also think Arizona Blaze has a huge chance and he almost made this preview, but he’s still entered in two different races so I am going to hold off backing him until his target is confirmed.

Power Blue, by rookie sire Space Blues, made a nice impression on debut when winning by over 3.75l at the Curragh (5f, soft). Murray wasted no time in stepping him up in grade and six weeks later he ran well in defeat in a listed heat behind the hugely promising filly Lady Iman, again over 5f. He was conceding 5lb to her and was beaten 1.5l and she went on to land a G3 on her next start.

Last time out, again at the Curragh, Power Blue stepped up to 6f for the first time in the G3 Marble Hill. We backed him that day and he pushed Albert Einstein to the pin of his collar, eventually going down by 0.75l. The Ballydoyle horse was installed as the 6/4 fav for the Coventry after that effort, but he’s been ruled out of the Royal Meeting.

When I went to look at the odds this afternoon, I thought Power Blue would be 6/1 or 7/1 max. To my amazement, he is chalked up at 25s with a couple of firms. At those odds, he has to be worth backing e/w.

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post Tip: Power Blue e/w @ 25/1

Day 4 – Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)

Karl Burke has previous in this race. He won it with Quiet Reflection in 2016, he had a fourth in 2021, a third in 2023 and in 2025, I think Leovanni is capable of running big for him in this 6f sprint which is restricted to 3yos only.

He has three entered this year and the one that looks to be his main hope is last year’s Queen Mary winner, Leovanni. By Kodi Bear, this filly won her first two starts at 5f last year (including that Queen Mary here) then ran a cracker upped to 6f when third behind Celandine in the G2 Lowther Stakes at York. She ran poorly in the Cheveley Park on her final start of 2024 but in her defence, the ground was soft.

Leovanni made her seasonal reappearance in the Achilles Stakes at Haydock over 5f last month. We backed the winner Balmoral Lady, who got a dream run up the inner, but Leovanni didn’t enjoy such luck in running.

She only got daylight around three quarters of a furlong from home and by that stage the leaders had flown. However, once Buick pushed her out, she made up lots of ground in the last 100 yards or so and the way she finished suggests to me that she will relish the stiffer test at Ascot.

This is her only entry, so she is almost certain to run and the only worry would be if we had a wet week and the ground was soft. The long range forecast, for what it is worth, says that we should be racing on fast ground so hopefully, for once, it is right. At odds of 25/1, Leovanni is the e/w pick.

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post Tip: Leovanni e/w @ 25/1

Day 4 – Coronation Stakes (Group 1)

News broke earlier today that Lake Victoria would not be running at Royal Ascot. We have already backed Cercene ante-post for this race at 100s and while those odds are now gone, I do think she is still overpriced at the 25s that is still available with a couple of firms.

Basically, I think we’ll see the best of this filly when she gets a strongly run race on quick ground at a mile and she should get that at Ascot. I am going to include her in our e/w lucky 15, my full reasoning for fancying her can be read via this link. If you have already backed her at 100s, then there's no need to go in for another single. 

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post Tip: Cercene e/w @ 25/1

2025 Royal Ascot Ante-Post E/W Lucky 15

Queen Anne Stakes – Docklands e/w @ 25/1

Coventry Stakes – Power Blue e/w @ 25/1

Commonwealth Cup – Leovanni e/w @ 25/1

Coronation Stakes – Cercene e/w @ 25/1

-DaveStevos

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tips

I have already posted tips for the Oaks and Derby, you can check them out here. I’ll be covering Friday’s card on my own blog and Saturday’s action on the TXMarkets blog. Hopefully we can follow up on our 11/1 winning NAP last week, 2025 Epsom Oaks Day previews and tips are below.

1.30 – Surrey Stakes (Listed)

First of all, the weather. There was 6mm of rain at Epsom on Thursday morning and at the time of writing there were still showers in the air. How much they get remains to be seen but I imagine we might be racing on good to soft tomorrow. It certainly won’t be rattling quick.

The opening race on Derby weekend is this 7f Listed heat. Thankfully for us each way players, eight are due to go to post so we may as well have a go at one at a decent price. The one that fits the bill is the Adrian Keatley trained Francisco’s Piece.

By Mayson, this colt remains had a busy campaign at two. A winner on debut at Pontefract in May, he added a listed race at Chantilly in June before running poorly at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood on good to firm ground.

Mid-Season Break

After a mid-season break, he came back for a backend campaign on softer ground and he placed in two listed races at 6f and 5.5f before shaping like he was ready for a step up to 7f on his final start of 2024 in a 6f listed race at Doncaster in October. He’s also related to a couple of 1m winners so that’s another indication that he should get this trip.

He now gets that extra furlong and Tom Marquand, who rode when he was short headed in a valuable novice at York last year, gets the leg up. Francisco’s Piece returns with his yard in excellent form. Ok, Keatley has had just one winner in the last fortnight but the form figures of his runners since May 28 read 4232201. At odds of 20/1, Francisco’s Piece is the e/w selection.

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Francisco’s Piece e/w @ 20/1 NB

2.05 – Woodcote Stakes (Class 2)

This class 2 conditions race for the 2yos rarely throws up a shock winner. Since 2005, only three horses at double figure odds have won but at the prices we play at, a place will do and I think Too Darn Good is interesting stepping up to 6f after a highly promising debut at Bath two weeks ago.

By Too Darn Hot, this colt had to come wide and got a bit outpaced around 2f out in that maiden but once Rob Hornby gave him a tap with the persuader around a furlong out, he picked up well and ran on strongly in the closing stages for a 2.25l fourth.

Dam Listed Winner

His dam was a listed winner over 5f and she herself is out of a listed 5f winner so there is lots of speed in his pedigree but Too Darn Hot has hopefully added enough stamina to ensure that 6f will be within his compass. It’s harder to predict whether he’ll handle a slight ease in the ground but his pedigree suggests it’s not out of the question.

Charlie Hills has had seventeen previous 2yo runners at Epsom and while only one of them won, nine others finished in the first four (seven in the first three). Hopefully Too Darn Good can hit the frame for him here at odds of 40/1.

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Too Darn Good e/w @ 40/1

2.40 – Coronation Cup (Group 1)

Just seven runners in this 1m4f Group 1 and it looks like a contest that will be dominated by the market leaders. The rain is in Caldangan’s favour and the French raider could be a tough nut to crack. Jan Brueghel is next best in the betting and one could argue that Bellum Justum is overpriced given that only a neck separated the two of them when they met at Goodwood last year.

However, with just two places on offer I’ll swerve this race. No bet.

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: No Bet

3.15 – Nifty Fifty Handicap (Class 2)

Given his record fresh and his liking for a bit of easy ground, the locally trained C&D winner Simply Sondheim might be worth taking a chance on at a price in this 1m2f handicap. George Baker’s 6yo was pulled up lame when last seen at Doncaster in November but he’s had plenty of time to recover and with such a big pot on offer, there’s a good chance that Baker has targeted this.

Simply Sondheim’s only previous run here resulted in victory, admittedly on heavy ground. However, he has won on good to soft too and once there is some sort of an ease, he’ll be fine. He is 5lb higher than he was when winning here last September but he probably ran to 95+ that day so he should be capable of nicking some place money off 93 if he is ready to go for his return.

He won first time out in 2023 for George Boughey and he ran a fine race first time up last year for Baker when finishing fourth at Kempton. At odds of 22/1, Simply Sondheim is worth chancing e/w for small stakes.

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Simply Sondheim e/w @ 22/1 (4 places)

4.00 – Betfred Oaks (Group 1)

We have already backed Revoir at 10/1 for the Oaks and you can read why via the link provided in the introduction. The rain shouldn’t be an issue for her, hopefully she puts her best hoof forward and runs a big race.

2025 Epsom Oaks Day Tip: Revoir already advised e/w @ 10/1 NAP

-DaveStevos

2025 Epsom Derby & Oaks Ante-Post Tips

I said earlier on Twitter that my record in the Derby is poor but it seems I was being a touch harsh on myself. Last year I tipped Deira Mile for four places at 25/1 (NB) and he got the place so it hasn’t all been bad. I’m going to try to find a bit of e/w value in both races, my 2025 Epsom Derby and Oaks ante-post fancies are below, e/w singles and a small e/w double recommended. 

Friday – Epsom Oaks (Group 1)

Just nine fillies remained in the field for the Epsom Oaks on Sunday and Desert Flower is a warm order to maintain her unbeaten record. Rated 117, she has won G1s on her last two starts at a mile and now steps up markedly in trip to 1m4f. Will she stay? The jury is out for me.

Her sire Night Of Thunder was a top miler and his progeny have a winner to runner strike rate of 53% at 7f-9f. At 12-13f, that drops to 25%. Her dam was a 7f-1m1f winner that failed to stay 1m2f so whether her stamina will hold out remains to be seen. At the prices, I’d most definitely be a layer rather than a backer.

Beckett Can Strike

The last time I backed the winner in this race was back in 2013 when Talent won for Ralph Beckett. This year he runs Revoir and while she isn’t a huge price, I think she represents a bit of value at 10/1. Yes, she was narrowly beaten by Qilin Queen on her seasonal return in a Listed heat at Newbury over 1m2f but that was just the second run of her life and at this longer trip, she can reverse that form.

The assessor handed her a rating of 97 for that near miss so he thinks she has no chance here. I disagree and I think there could be heaps of improvement to come from her stepped up to 1m4f. Her sire, French Derby winner Study Of Man, has already produced a top class performer at this trip in Kalpana and her dam, Regardez, is a half-sister to the ill-fated Scope, a G1 winner over just short of 2m.

There’s a bit of rain forecast during the week at Epsom so there might be some cut in the ground but she won’t mind what the weather does. She won her maiden on heavy and it was good to firm at Newbury so it seems she handles any ground. At odds of 10/1, Revoir is the each way selection.

2025 Epsom Oaks Ante-Post Tip: Revoir e/w @ 10/1

Saturday – Epsom Derby (Group 1)

There should be a far bigger field in The Derby. Twenty were left in on Monday and all the money has been for the Ballydoyle Dubawi colt Delacroix. He has won both starts this season, in G3s over 1m2f at Leopardstown, and steps up to 1m4f for the first time. If, as expected, Ryan Moore rides, he will probably go off even shorter than the 11/4 he is now.

He’ll handle soft ground if the forecast rain arrives but it would be an unknown for the next three horses in the betting. The one I’ll take a punt on at a bigger price is the John Gosden trained Frankel colt, Nightwalker.

This lad has come up short in three stakes races at 8f-10.5f since winning his maiden at Yarmouth in September but, looking at how he has finished off those races, he could be a different proposition stepped up to 1m4f for the first time. His dam is a half-sister to the Leger winner Logician (who is also by Frankel) so his pedigree suggests he’ll improve for the longer trip too.

Outpaced

At York last time in the Dante he was drawn wide and dropped out. He travelled through the race lovely but got outpaced at the two furlong pole. However, he stayed on takingly in the final furlong and in the end he just missed third by less than half a length. He was closing on Damysus and Wimbledon Hawkeye all the way to the line and over this longer trip, he can turn that form around.

On his last start as a 2yo in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket (1m, good to soft) he was also outpaced before running on nicely for third, 4l behind Delacroix and Stanhope Gardens. So, he has form with the right horses and while he has had five runs, I’m not sure we have seen the best of him yet. 

He reportedly handled the undulations of Epsom well in a piece of work last week and I am hoping the step up to 1m4f enables him to display his full ability. At odds of 25/1, Nightwalker is worth chancing e/w and I am also recommending a small e/w double with Revoir.

2025 Epsom Derby Tip: Nightwalker e/w @ 25/1

2025 Epsom Derby & Oaks E/W Double: Revoir @ 10/1 & Nightwalker @ 25/1

-DaveStevos