Epsom Tips: At the Races’ Kevin Blake makes his picks for Derby Day | Racing news

Betfred Derby Day. Here is one of the great days of British and indeed world racing. With the worst of the rain seemingly behind us, we are ready to race the ground on the easy side of the good and everything is in place for a great day of racing.

The main event of the day, of course Betfred Derby (4 pm) itself. On Thursday, I published a runner-by-runner guide to it that gives my detailed thoughts on all the runners – you can find here. There are a few other races on the card that are of interest and those are the ones I will cover in this space.

The Coolmore Coronation Cup (2.40pm) has been moved to Derby Day and this year’s prize money has increased significantly and all involved have been rewarded with a seriously strong renewal of the race.

It’s far from a two-horse race, but much of the focus will be on a rematch from last year’s race where the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jan Bruegel Got the better of the Francis-Henry Graffard-trained Calandagan in a thrilling contest.

Since then, Calandagaan has gone on to establish himself as the world’s leading middle-distance performer, embarking on a remarkable five-race winning streak at the highest level that featured a truly epic victory in the Japan Cup.

By contrast, Jan Bruegel has since been restricted to just two outings, a disappointing attempt at a tactically sloppy renewal of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and an impressive winning return from absence at Chester last month.

It’s entirely understandable why Calandagan is the clear favorite for the rematch, but Jan Bruegel enjoys the unique test of the course and a slightly better distance than Calandagan last year, and that could prove to be a key factor this year.

Jan Bruegel also has two strong stablemates in the field and Aidan O’Brien may have a plan up his sleeve to maximize Jan Bruegel’s chances. At the price, he appeals to me more.

D HKJC World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap (5.20pm) A ridiculously competitive handicap, but I’m keen to give it a go with the Ralph Beckett-trained. Lord Melbourne. The six-year-old’s recent form has not been particularly impressive, but it is his record on this unique course that has caught the eye.

He has won two of his three starts at this track and his moderate recent form has seen him drop to a mark that is just 3lb more than he bolted at this track last September. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if his connections had this race on his mind for quite some time on Derby Day, and with a wide draw not too much of a concern, he looks set to have a very real chance in a big race.

Kevin’s Tips

2.40 Epsom Downs – Coolmore Coronation Cup

Jan Bruegel (3-1)

4.00 Epsom Downs – Betfred Derby

1. Welcome to Selini

2. Christmas Day

3. James J. Braddock

5.20 Epsom Downs – HKJC World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap

Lord Melbourne (20-1)