Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm)

They’re off … Mr Wagyu is up there as they turn for home … Apollo One leads the way with Mr Wagyu challenging hard as they come to the line … and Misty Grey may have come to nab Mr Wagyu on the line I think. Photo-finish! And yes … first Misty Grey.

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm) betting

• Apollo One 10/3

• Mr Wagyu 9/2

• Aleezdancer 13/2

• Flaming Rib 8/1

• Mums Tipple 9/1

• Misty Grey 10/1

• Badri 11/1

• Executive Decision 16/1

• Eminency 20/1

• Intervention 22/1

• Strike Red 22/1

• BAR 33/1 – 13 Runners

• Full details on Oddschecker

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm) preview

If salvation is still required in the last of the eight races on Derby day, you might as well opt for something at an each-way price that requires only a minimal stake and Strike Red might just fit the bill here. It was a wrench to abandon Apollo One – his form figures over the last year-and-a-half are 322230-2 and I think I’ve tipped him every time) but 20-1 just seems too big a price for Richard Fahey’s runner, who was entitled to need his comeback run at Newcastle last time. His previous start was an impressive win in a valuable race at the Curragh off a 2lb lower mark than today’s, and he has a genuine chance on that form.

SELECTION: STRIKE RED

What a brilliant performance from City Of Troy. You can read the report here.

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) market mover

• Flash Bardot 12/1 into 9/1

Full details via Oddspedia

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) betting

• Ziggy 9/2

• Kotari 11/2

• Relentless Voyager 6/1

• Flash Bardot 9/1

• If Not Now 9/1

• Asgard’s Captain 12/1

• Dream Harder 12/1

• Not So Sleepy 16/1

• Percy Shelley 18/1

• Parlando 18/1

• BAR 22/1 – 14 Runners

• Full betting via Oddschecker

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) preview

A race that once was the feature event on the Friday of the old four-day Derby meeting, which only goes to show how thinly the action was spread back in the day. If you are looking to get out of trouble at this point, it might be best to take a deep breath and walk away, but Kotari does at least arrive on a rich run of form and a narrow victory at Ascot last time – his third in a row – has ensured that he is only 5lb higher in the weights today.

SELECTION: KOTARI

Ambiente Friendly is getting a little worked up and he can be quite buzzy at the start of the race which would not be in his favour.

Aidan O’Brien’s attention to detail …

The Derby (4.30pm) market movers

• Ambiente Friendly 10/1 into 6/1

• Dancing Gemini 14/1 into 9/1

Full details via Oddspedia

The Derby (4.30pm) betting

• City Of Troy 3/1

• Ambiente Friendly 6/1

• Los Angeles 6/1

• Ancient Wisdom 13/2

• Dancing Gemini 9/1

• Macduff 12/1

• Bellum Justum 20/1

• Deira Mile 28/1

• Voyage 28/1

• BAR 40/1 – 16 Runners

• Full betting via Oddschecker

The Derby (4.30pm) preview

The Derby has been coming into ever-sharper focus ever since the last horse crossed the line in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and at this stage, there is precious little to add to all the form, thoughts and conjecture of the last four weeks. Every punter is likely to look at the race in a slightly different way, and place a different emphasis on various performances, but for me it came down to a choice between Los Angeles and Dancing Gemini, and slightly more certainty about the likelihood of improvement at 12 furlongs narrowly tipped the balance towards the Leopardstown Derby Trial winner. That said, it would be splendid to see City Of Troy return to his exhilarating two-year-old form, or Ambiente Friendly come home in front for 91-year-old Bill Gredley. The only certainty is that the winner will join the unbroken line of Derby winners that stretches back to 1780, while the also-rans will have missed their one and only chance of Epsom Classic glory.

SELECTION: LOS ANGELES

Betfred Dash Handicap (3.45pm)

And they’re off … zoom … this is going to be quick (again this is a contest over the fastest five furlongs in the world) so excuse the sparse description … Democracy Dilemma is off fast. … he has the rail now to help him and will go hard for the line … oh here comes a challenger and he is caught by Dream Composer on the line!

Very sad news from the 3.10pm race after Tears Of A Clown’s mishap near the end of the contest.

Betfred Dash Handicap (3.45pm) betting

• Silky Wilkie 5/1

• Clarendon House 6/1

• Looking For Lynda 13/2

• Dream Composer 7/1

• Lethal Nymph 8/1

• Democracy Dilemma 15/2

• Chipstead 10/1

• Alligator Alley 14/1

• Night On Earth 16/1

• Live In The Moment 18/1

• BAR 28/1 – 14 Runners

Full betting via Oddschecker

Betfred Dash Handicap (3.45pm) preview

A 14-runner field for the traditional precursor to the Derby following the scratching of One Night Stand, which is the smallest for 21 years. There are still more than enough possibilities to keep form students busy for many hours, however, and big outsiders including The Bell Conductor, at 33-1, go to post with a realistic each-way chance. For win purposes, though, I’m with Dream Composer at around 8-1, as the form of his latest narrow defeat at Goodwood looks as solid as anything on offer and Joe Leavy’s 5lb claim could make all the difference in a tight finish.

SELECTION: DREAM COMPOSER

Betfred Dash Handicap (3.45pm) market mover

• Lethal Nymph 12/1 into 8/1

Details via Oddspedia

Aidan O’Brien, who leaves no stone unturned, with the Instructions (Part One) for a couple of his Derby jockeys …

Betfred 3-Y-O Dash Handicap (3.10pm)

And they’re off … zoom … this is going to be quick (this is the fastest five furlongs in the world) so excuse the sparse description … Grandlad is up there early … Mc Loven is fast away … Blue Storm takes the lead down the centre and holds off the late challenge of Sturlasson.

Betfred 3-Y-O Dash Handicap (3.10pm) market mover

• Mashadi 10/1 into 6/1

Details via Oddspedia

Betfred 3-Y-O Dash Handicap (3.10pm) betting

• Grandlad 5/1

• Due For Luck 6/1

• Mashadi 13/2

• Sturlasson 9/1

• Billy Webster 9/1

• Mart 12/1

• Blue Storm 12/1

• Knicks 14/1

• Vince l’Amour 20/1

• Enchanting 25/1

• Doctor Vuby 25/1

• The Coffee Pod 25/1

• Full odds via Oddschecker

Betfred 3-Y-O Dash Handicap (3.10pm) preview

The three-year-old version of the annual headlong charge down the straight five-furlong course that follows at 3.45, and scarcely a name among the 19 runners that can be ruled out with complete confidence. For the most part, though, most of these are a good deal more exposed than many three-year-olds at this stage of the campaign, and one of the few with only a handful of starts to their name is Grandlad, the narrow favourite. He took his record to 2-from-4 with a narrow win at Goodwood last weekend and the form was backed up by a strong time figure, and so he is probably the safest option in a desperately difficult event.

SELECTION: GRANDLAD

Diomed Stakes (2.35pm)

And they’re off … Royal Scotsman sets off in the lead and is going a fast pace … Regal Reality is at the back … Royal Scotsman kicks clear … can he hold on? Yes he can! An easy winner!! That was the story of the race. A horse back to form and he will win better races now he’s back on song. Ran a terrific race in the 2,000 Guineas last year and has not had the rub of the green since. Great to see.

Market mover for 2.35pm race

Highland Avenue 6/1 into 7/2

Full details via Oddspedia

Diomed Stakes preview

This is not generally one of the season’s better Group Three events and the fact that last year’s 1-2 – the now nine-year-old Regal Reality and six-year-old Highland Avenue – are back for another crack tells a tale about the latest renewal, but there is at least an interesting new opponent in Roger Varian’s Embesto. He was a little disappointing on his seasonal debut at Newmarket last month but remains with potential after just half a dozen starts and races in a hood for the first time here. It could prove to be the making of him, but for now, I’ll take the proven course form of Highland Avenue to prevail.

SELECTION: HIGHLAND AVENUE

Diomed Stakes (2.35pm) betting

• Embesto 4/1

• Regal Reality 4/1

• Highland Avenue 4/1

• Royal Scotsman 7/1

• Epictetus 8/1

• Royal Dubai 10/1

• Sean 11/1

• Silver Sword 14/1

• Full betting via Oddschecker here

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2pm)

And they’re off … Julia Augusta leads in the early stages … pace quite nippy this time … Astral Beau is second and Running Lion poised in third … the favourite went for a daring run up the rail but didn’t have the finishing kick … it’s a bunched finish and they are all over the place but Breege holds on. What a mess of a race.

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2pm) betting

• Running Lion 2/1

• Chic Colombine 10/3

• Breege 7/1

• Astral Beau 7/1

• Sparks Fly 11/1

• Sea Of Thieves 12/1

• Royal Dress 14/1

• Glimpsed 22/1

• Julia Augusta 66/1

• Full Oddschecker betting here

There’s an election on and Priti Patel MP is at the Derby – if she loses her Witham constituency (majority 24,000) on July 4th the Conservative party will be extinct!

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2pm) preview

It has to be said that the Derby’s undercard is somewhat … well, underwhelming when set against many other big-race days, both here and around the world. That said, this Group Three is a fair race of its type, and features a favourite in Running Lion who has shown occasional glimpses of potential Group One-winning form at various points in her career. Her strike-rate, though, feels like it is not quite what it should be – she is winless in five starts since May 2023 – and personally I’d want to see a bit more before stepping in to back her at around 2-1. Instead, I’ll take her on with a 12-1 chance in David Loughnane’s Sparks Fly, a prolific handicapper last year with the potential for further progress at four and not much to find with the favourite on ratings, although it has to be said that drying ground is not necessarily ideal.

SELECTION: SPARKS FLY

Market mover for 2pm race …

Astral Beau 9-1 into 7--1

Full details via Oddspedia

Lester Piggott Handicap (1.25pm)

And they’re off … Blake was slowly away and Persica leads … but it’s a slow pace and the field is bunched up … Golden West is up there at Tattenham Corner … Portsmouth is getting through on the rail … but is being fought off and Persica wins … a fine front-running ride from Sean Levey.

Here are the Oddschecker best-supported horses of the day so far …and City of Troy is among them!

• 13:25 – Portsmouth 5/2

• 14:00 – Running Lion 7/4

• 16:30 – City of Troy 11/4

The Racing TV panel on the channel have just stated City Of Troy “is definitely not worth backing at 7-2”. That was recorded earlier this week and now the favourite is 11-4 in places! The most famous British Fat race this year revolves around one horse: if City Of Troy comes back to his best form from last season he wins but if he runs like he did in the 2,000 Guineas when he flopped so badly then it’s the end of another chance for the Aidan O’Brien operation to say they have a genuine racing great in their yard. Don’t forget his owners last year mentioned the colt in the same breath as Frankel.

One of the reasons City Of Troy did not handle the Guineas test at Newmarket was the fact that he boiled over at the start. My colleague Greg Wood reported last night that O’Brien stated he’s not going to take any special measures with the horse while there’s another point to factor in. The BestofBets.com people remind me in a missive that ‘In addition to a very poor run in the Guineas, the favourite for today’s Epsom Derby will have to overcome the ‘coffin box’ draw of stall one.’ Timeform did their analysis and concluded that “the data suggests there is merit in the view that a low draw is more of a hindrance than a help.” It’s a tricky head scratcher for backers.

Good afternoon. Get ready for the usual rollercoaster Derby up and around the famous Epsom Downs. The traditions are part of what makes this event so special and we’re going to start with the annual tip at the Amato pub near the track. Beware, the last few years have not exactly been bursting with winners … including in 2023. This year it’s the Guardian’s tip, Los Angeles!