5.15pm Epsom Tips & Betting Preview 02/06/2017

A shame to see just the seven runners for over £20,000 in first prize money but it has still attracted a decent looking field with the majority of the best jockeys in action all point to a decent and competitive renewal summed up neatly below in this race preview.

IN SUMMARY: Pretty much any one of these could win this on their best form with SUTTER COUNTY an obvious contender after winning last time out for trainer Mark Johnston. He combines both speed and stamina when needed which are good weapons to have in a race like this, and as long as the rains stay away then he can hold off Seven Heavens and perhaps Mr Scaramanga who could challenge for third.

1 MR SCARAMANGA – Top weight may well be an anchor to the chances of the Sir Percy colt hence his position as outsider of the field at the time of writing, but he has already won at Dohar this season, picking up a cool £115,000 in prize money for beating Pazeer by three quarters of a length over the mile. Stepped up to Group Three level at Newbury he was beaten fourteen lengths which was just too bad to be true and with the stamina for a mile and the speed to win over six furlongs, he may well be overpriced.

2 KODILINE – Clive Cox has his horses in decent enough form of late with a 19% strike rate in the last fortnight and it will be interesting to see if the son of Kodiac has improved from two to three. One maiden win at Windsor over six furlongs marks his sole victory so far, but he was a solid fourth to Alicante Dawn in the Listed Champion Two Year Old’s Trophy at Ripon when last seen in action and a market watch may tell more about his chances here.

3 KOROPICK – Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer is having a torrid time of it lately with the unwanted retirement to stud of Galileo Gold as well as too many fancied horses flopping, though he has had a couple of winners in the last two weeks so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Koropick does have the benefit of a run this season so will be more race fit than some, but that was a poor twelve lengths plus seventh of eight at Newbury where the soft ground may well have been a decent and valid excuse. With better ground expected he may well improve, though others look to have better chances.

4 SEVEN HEAVENS – John Gosden plus Frankie Dettori plus the Khalid Abdullah colours carried by Frankel make for a potent combination and the son of said Frankel is high up on the short list. Last time out he finished a three quarter length third to Taamol at Newmarket in the Listed King Charles II Stakes over this trip, when only caught inside the final furlong after leading most of the way. He is most certainly a big player in this contest and looks a distinct possibility for a stable who are still among the winners with six in the last two weeks.

5 SOLOMON’S BAY – With the Roger Varian yard topping the percentage charts in this particular race thanks to nine winners from their last thirty-five runners for a 26% success rate, and the excellent Silvestre de Sousa in the saddle  Soloman’s Bay must have chances despite his price. Two runs so far this season have seen an eleventh of fifteen n a Newbury handicap followed by a much improved fourth to Taamol at Newmarket, a length and three quarters behind Seven Heavens who he meets today on the same terms. Despite his stable form there is no obvious reason why those places should be reversed today.

6 SUTTER COUNTY – Mark Johnston’s son of Invincible Spirit heads up the early market here after winning at Goodwood last time out in a Class Two handicap which he took by half a length from Medahim. That was his second win of the year after scoring at Newcastle in February and he seems to be battle hardened like all the Johnston inmates and he has already raced seven times in 2017 and will be as fit as a flea and by far the likeliest winner here.

7 TRUE VALOUR – Ryan Moore rides the son of Kodiac (the sire’s third runner of just the seven entries), who comes over from the Irish yard of ex jockey Johnny Murtagh. Already a winner this season at Limerick when taking his maiden by half a length he ran well enough last time out when third to Doctor Geoff in a Listed race at Naas, beaten half a length and a head at the line after leading inside the final furlong before running out of steam close home. The form of that race looks solid enough and the three-year-old may well be happier on this slightly easier surface and he won’t be far away again as they flash past the post today.