ITV Racing Tips: Godolphin’s Walk Of Stars can take next step to the Derby
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No sooner is the Guineas Festival over and we are straight into Derby talk and with only 2,000 Guineas third Luxembourg of the race principals going forward to Epsom there are opportunities for other contenders to step forward.
Chester’s trials only served to promote yet more Aidan O’Brien candidates, but the Classic caravan now arrives at Lingfield where there is a chance for Godolphin to play its trump card.
Charlie Appleby saddles two in the Lingfield Derby Trial but it will be Walk Of Stars who will command most attention in the race in which last year’s Derby winner Adayar had his warm-up.
The fillies get their turn in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, one of four races from the Surrey track that will be covered on terrestrial TV.
The 17-runner Swinton Hurdle provides the sole jumps action while the rest of the schedule is completed by four races from Ascot culminating in the 28-runner Victoria Cup.
Coverage begins on ITV4 from 13:30 and we have previewed the three most significant races of the day in our ITV Racing Tips.
The winner of this year’s Derby might be in this field and he might not necessarily be the colt who is first past the post.
A year ago, Adayar finished second behind Third Realm but stepped up on that performance to triumph at Epsom while his Lingfield conqueror was back in fifth. It turned out to be a decent race as Scope, third at Lingfield, ended the year with a Group 1 to his name and fourth Kyprios won the Vintage Crop Stakes last month on his first run since.
We have another small field here with at least three interesting challengers. Walk Of Stars, who had more in hand than the neck margin by which he won at Newbury, is the pick, but don’t write off Natural World or Lionel who should have plenty more to offer this year, if not on this occasion.
Henry De Bromhead runs very few on the Flat but what he has, he has excelled with. Wren’s Breath could be one of his best in the sphere.
The four-year-old has only had four runs but she overcame a slow start to fly home in a Listed race at Naas last July. Something appeared amiss when she next ran at Doncaster but if she is over that this one-eyed filly could be finding her way back into the winners’ circle for the Honeysuckle stable.
River Nymph recorded one of his two course wins in this prize 12 months and will be expected to produce another bold show. He is one of many contenders in this 28-runner handicap over the specialist 7f distance.
Former Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent heads the weights and is another who often goes well at Ascot while Charlie Appleby aims two Godolphin runners with last weekend’s Guineas hero James Doyle on One Ruler, who has been gelded since running sixth in both last year’s 2,000 Guineas and Derby.
The pick of the field could be the Frankie Dettori-ridden Magical Morning who was a bit in-and-out last year during a season that ended with a decent third finish in the Balmoral Handicap. Nearly all his racing has been at a mile, but this drop to 7f should be no inconvenience to him.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday 7th May
13:45 Ascot – 1m4f Handicap
14:05 Lingfield – 7f Handicap
14:20 Ascot – Buckhounds Stakes
14:40 Lingfield – Derby Trial
15:00 Haydock – Swinton Hurdle
15:15 Lingfield – Oaks Trial
15:30 Ascot – 1m Fillies’ Handicap
15:50 Lingfield – Chartwell Stakes
16:05 Ascot – Victoria Cup
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
