And they\u2019re off \u2026 Formal has been well backed late on \u2026 and that horse is prominent \u2026 but The Waco Kid just has the lead \u2026 tey are going down the middle of the track. \u2026<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.32 EDT<\/p>\n 1.30pm Surrey Stakes betting<\/strong><\/p>\n Racegoers arriving at Epsom. Photograph: Dan Kitwood\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a> 1.30pm Surrey Stakes preview<\/strong><\/p>\n Several of these three-year-olds have plenty of form in the book already for this relatively early stage of their careers, including likely favourite Diego<\/strong> Ventura, <\/strong>the winner of a Listed race at Longchamp last time. He has a 3lb penalty as a result, though, and could be vulnerable to a less exposed opponent. Formal <\/strong>and SAQQARA SANDS <\/strong>both fit the bill and Ralph Beckett\u2019s filly in particular looks likely to make significant progress this term.<\/p>\n SELECTION: SAQQARA SANDS<\/strong><\/p>\n Georgia Toffolo is at the races. If you don\u2019t know she was \u201cmade\u201d in Made in Chesea. Photograph: Aaron Chown\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n 2.40pm Coronation Cup preview<\/strong><\/p>\n There are few more obvious Group One winners-in-waiting than Francis-Henri Graffard\u2019s gelding CALANDAGAN, <\/strong>who scooted away with the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes<\/a> at Royal Ascot last summer by six lengths and has finished runner-up at the highest level on his next three starts. Things have simply not panned out for him in his two most recent outings \u2013 he had traffic problems in the Champion Stakes in October and was too far off a steady pace in the Sheema Classic<\/a> at Meydan in March \u2013 and prior to that, simply came up against a very strong and superbly-ridden opponent<\/a> in City Of Troy, in the International Stakes at York. Some punters may look for an alternative on the basis that finding one too good is starting to become a habit, and Giavellotto, <\/strong>who was five lengths adrift of Calandagan in the Sheema Classic, has a squeak on his Group One-winning form in Hong Kong in December, while Jan Brueghel, <\/strong>last year\u2019s St Leger winner,<\/a> also has claims as he steps back up in trip after surrendering his unbeaten record over 10 furlongs last time.<\/p>\n SELECTION: CALANDAGAN<\/strong><\/p>\n Hello Ducky! Photograph: John Walton\/PAShare<\/a> 2.05pm Woodcote Stakes preview<\/strong><\/p>\n Five of the nine remaining runners – after the scratching of Too Darn Good \u2013 <\/strong>were winners last time out, including the current 6-4 favourite, Maximized, <\/strong>who was knocked down to Charlie Appleby\u2019s Godolphin for \u00a3720k at a breeze-up sale \u2013 where horses gallop before going under the hammer \u2013 earlier this year. He repaid a small part of that outlay with a debut win at Haydock in May, but did not achieve anything more on the bare form than the second-favourite, HAVANA HURRICANE, <\/strong>who was picked up for a much more reasonable 9k gns (\u00a39.5k) and showed a decent turn of foot to win at Goodwood first time up. Eve Johnson Houghton, his trainer, took this race with a very similar type in Bobsleigh two years ago and he is an interesting option to the favourite at around 11-4.<\/p>\n SELECTION: HAVANA HURRICANE<\/strong><\/p>\n They\u2019re just showing off. Photograph: John Walton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.20 EDT<\/p>\n 1.30pm Surrey Stakes preview<\/strong><\/p>\n Several of these three-year-olds have plenty of form in the book already for this relatively early stage of their careers, including likely favourite Diego<\/strong> Ventura, <\/strong>the winner of a Listed race at Longchamp last time. He has a 3lb penalty as a result, though, and could be vulnerable to a less exposed opponent. Formal <\/strong>and SAQQARA SANDS <\/strong>both fit the bill and Ralph Beckett\u2019s filly in particular looks likely to make significant progress this term.<\/p>\n SELECTION: SAQQARA SANDS<\/strong><\/p>\n She\u2019s started early. Photograph: Victoria Jones\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Harry Redknapp owns a horse or two and he\u2019s made his way to the Downs.<\/p>\n Harry Redknapp arrives at Epsom. Photograph: Aaron Chown\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n The celebs are arriving at Epsom \u2026 and here are Gabby and Kenny Logan<\/p>\n Nice shades. Photograph: Aaron Chown\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.16 EDT<\/p>\n We will be getting Greg Wood\u2019s race-by-race guide throughout the morning but here\u2019s a rundown of the action you will be able to see from Epsom this afternoon:<\/p>\n 1.30pm<\/strong> Nyetimber Listed Surrey Stakes, 7f, 3yo It\u2019s going to get hot in those costumes. Photograph: Dylan Martinez\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Epsom have gone with a little drum and bass in their promotional video<\/a> for the Derby meeting but for getting down with the kids you can\u2019t beat the UK Garage commentary special released a few years back \u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n UK Garage \u201cdoes the races\u201d with a special commentary from Ascot. Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s too darn bad if you fancy the Charles Hills-trained runner in the 2.05pm race today as it won\u2019t be turning up. Here are your non-runners for Epsom this afternoon:<\/p>\n 2.05pm Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes<\/p>\n 8 Too Darn Good<\/strong><\/p>\n 4.35pm Trustatrader Handicap<\/p>\n 10 Obelix<\/strong><\/p>\n She\u2019s arrived early. Photograph: Adam Davy\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n After a spring as dry as most people can remember suddenly this week people were talking about attritional scenes at Epsom and even suggesting the dreaded \u2018heavy\u2019 might be in the description for the Derby festival meeting with plenty of rain in some forecasts. There is more precipitation coming overnight and tomorrow so get your macs and brollies at the ready ( whisper it but clerk of the course Andrew Cooper says there is a \u201creal possibility\u201d of a soft-ground Derby on Saturday) but for today the official verdict is in and it\u2019s Good to soft, good in places. <\/strong>After some rain this morning (1mm) it is forecast to clear to a brighter, breezy afternoon with temperatures in the mid to high teens.<\/p>\n “When ground is drying, there comes a point when you lose control of it – and this place dries very quickly.”<\/p>\n Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper explains the decision to irrigate at Epsom on Tuesday and why he feels it was the right thing to do<\/p>\n \u2014 Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.48 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble Good morning from Epsom racecourse on this first day of this year\u2019s Derby meeting, where racing professionals and a scattering of early punters alike are staring anxiously at the skies and wondering how the ground will be riding for both Friday\u2019s Oaks and the Derby itself in a little over 24 hours\u2019 time.<\/p>\n There is plenty of blue sky above the track at present but there was rain earlier and it has already been one of the trickier run-ups to the Classic meeting in Andrew Cooper\u2019s 30-year tenure as clerk of the course.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never known such a prolonged dry period from March, April and through into May, so it\u2019s been challenging,\u201d Cooper told the draw ceremony in a local cinema on Wednesday. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been great for grass, it\u2019s been constant irrigation just to get us to where we want to be.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was 3.5mm of rain on Tuesday, which was forecast, but it\u2019s very localised and Sandown [eight miles away] didn\u2019t get any at all. It\u2019s unsettled for sure, and in terms of the volume of rain on a race day, when you\u2019re racing over the ground, it really doesn\u2019t take a lot to start shifting things quite quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jockey Club\u2019s live update page<\/a> for Epsom was reporting a total of 4.8mm since midnight at 9.30am today, and 11.4mm over the previous seven days. As a result, the going at Epsom is now good to soft, good in places, having been good all over two days ago, though as yet there is little impact on the Oaks betting, where Desert Flower, <\/strong>the 1,000 Guineas winner, remains a solid favourite at around 6-4 despite the nagging doubts about whether she will see out the 12-furlong trip.<\/p>\n Whirl, <\/strong>one of three runners from the Aidan O\u2019Brien yard, is a drifter this morning, however, out to 6-1 from around 9-2 overnight, while Minnie Hauk, <\/strong>the mount of O\u2019Brien\u2019s No 1, Ryan Moore<\/strong>, is a solid second-favourite at around 5-1.<\/p>\n The main supporting race on the Classic card is the Coronation Cup <\/strong>at 2.40pm, <\/strong>for older horses over the full Derby and Oaks trip, and the very likeable Calandagan, <\/strong>who has finished either first or second on his last eight starts, will be favourite here to get an overdue first Group One win on the board. You can read my full preview of today\u2019s TV races here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The card is under way at 1.30pm with the Surrey Stakes over seven furlongs, and all the news and results from Oaks day will be here on the blog within seconds as the afternoon\u2019s action unfolds.<\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Greg_Wood,_L.png\")
Greg Wood<\/p>\nGreg Wood<\/p>\nGreg Wood<\/p>\n
2.05pm<\/strong> Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes, 6f, 2yo
2.40pm<\/strong> Betfred (Group One) Coronation Cup, 1m4f, 4yo+
3.15pm<\/strong> Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap, 1m2f, 4yo+
4.00pm<\/strong> Betfred (Group One) Oaks, 1m4f, 3yo fillies
4.35pm<\/strong> Trustatrader Handicap, 1m\u00bdf, 4yo+<\/p>\n\n
Greg Wood<\/p>\n