Derby Day

It is a statistical mystery to me how I have participated in three different Derby sweepstakes at three different events over the last three days and not one of our various syndicated tickets has been within fifty of any drawn number. We could have purchased a Derby horse for next year for a fraction of our investment – but that is the nature of the Derby Dinner circuit. Like the hooch – you just have to soak it up.

You will be pleased to know that despite my outer and possibly visible fracture lines, I managed to get from Waterloo to Andover in time to meet the Hon and to get to the full Solemn Funeral Mass for Cousin Pim, which was… well, solemn. It was, however, a strangely happy farewell because, as Catholics, we all believed she was now reunited with her much-missed late husband Simon, is wrapped in the arms of Christ and no longer suffering from various creeping malaises. In short, she is now sitting rosy, imbued with the knowledge of everything, including the inside griff on The Derby winner, the understanding that Dermot Weld is a genius and that Emily Upjohn will surely be ridden by Frankie Dettori at Ascot. It’s all rather comforting that in some respects, so little has changed over the years!

I did my knee no good by attempting a genuflection in the service and hobbled away after spending an hour or so drinking English fizz with the rellies, which was a joy. It is so great to see sprogs you knew before Prep schools and Unis and grown-up jobs, now surrounded by yet more young, but I was dragged away in time to have yet more Sauvignon with the never-understated Friday Night Lambourn set. Sadly, this revived my dissolute appearance and sense of impending liver failure, and I write this with the forlorn hope that if I say my prayers before bed, I can look forward to a break from this weekday drinking malarkey once we are through this weekend. There are four Lambourn Derby runners – if one of them wins, I can only think that organ transplant specialists will be of more use than prayers!

SATURDAY 1ST JUNE LIVE RACING – 1330 – 1700, ITV1 + STV

13:25 THE LESTER PIGGOTT HANDICAP – 1M2F C2 HANDICAP (3YO)

Andrew Balding is expected to hose this with PORTSMOUTH, and PERSICA seems the obvious RFC

PORTSMOUTH 6 pts Win

14:00 THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH STAKES (G3) 1M 1⁄2 F

SEA OF THIEVES – ASTRAL BEAU 3 pts e/w both

14:35 THE BETFRED DIOMED STAKES (G3) 1M 1⁄2 F

My shortlist is REGAL REALITY – HIGHLAND AVENUE* – SEAN* – EMBESTO 1st x Hood. It looks as though Meydan winter form might play some small part (*)

SEAN 3 pts e/w

15:10 THE BETFRED 3YO ‘DASH’ HANDICAP 5F

MASHADI 4 pts e/w – MYCONIAN 1 pt e/w

15:45 THE ASTON MARTIN ‘DASH’ HANDICAP 5F

LOOKING FOR LYNDA 5 pts Win

16:30 THE BETFRED DERBY (G1) 1M 4F

ANCIENT WISDOM has several things going for him:

• Group 1 winner
• Pedigree for the distance
• On last season’s form, he holds AMBIENTE FRIENDLY, DANCING GEMINI and DEIRA MILE
• Decent Dante performance  – Charlie said he wasn’t ready and will improve and handle a step-up in trip
• Handles cut and will probably manage quicker ground.

CITY OF TROY should be backed purely as an insurance hedge against your e/w stake. I would not put you off backing EUPHORIC and DALLAS STAR each way. I have Ante-post markers on MACDUFF at 40s and SAYEDATI SADATY at 150s.

ANCIENT WISDOM 5 pts e/w – CITY OF TROY 4 pts Win

17:15 LONG SHOT NORTHERN DANCER HANDICAP CL2 (4YO+ 0-105) 1M4F

ZIGGY 4 pts Win

17:50 JRA TOKYO TROPHY HANDICAP CL2 (4YO+ 0-105) 6F

My shortlist BADRI – APOLLO ONE – MR WAGYU

APOLLO ONE 4 pts win – All 3 in 6 x ½ pt CFC