‘A HELL of a lot of rain’ is set to hit Epsom this afternoon ahead of the blockbuster £1.5million Derby.
The going was changed to good, good to soft in places, last night after the forecast deluge didn’t hit.
GettyDerby fav Delacroix should be able to handle the soft ground should the rain fall[/caption]
But a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and hail remains in place over the Surrey track.
Oli Bell said on ITV Racing that up to 30mm of rain could fall between now and the Derby at 3.30pm.
And clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said: “The forecast shows that by 10 or 11am we’re going to be at risk of showers, some of which could be heavy.
“There will be places that won’t see anything and there will be places that see a hell of a lot of rain.”
Templegate’s Derby tip and 1-2-3-4 prediction
With that in mind, here are five horses who should be able to cope if the going gets muddy.
1 Delacroix
Heavily backed after Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore teamed up to win the Oaks on Friday, the fav should have no problem if the rain gets into the turf.
He is 2-2 this year and finished a nose second on soft in last October’s William Hill Futurity at Doncaster.
2 Midak
The ground is typically much softer in the France – and that should play right into Midak’s strengths.
Supplemented for the race at a cost of £75,000, this three-year-old colt is showing signs of huge improvement.
And the colossal fee paid to get him in the race – and run under the famous Aga Khan silks – could prove money well spent.
3 Tennessee Stud
His odds have plummeted from 66-1 to 33s and it is easy to see why given the forecast.
He brings strong form to the table having been beaten by the likes of Delacroix, Green Storm and Hotazhell.
While he was a Group 1 winner on heavy at Saint-Cloud in France last October.
4 New Ground
Getting into the really big prices at 50-1, this French raider was a winner on heavy last October.
He has been campaigned at a higher level since and come up short – but maybe ultra soft ground is what he needs.
His sire won a French Derby on heavy so there is certainly hope.
5 Green Storm
If Tennessee Stud is a play, then 200-1 outsider Green Storm has to be as well.
Owned by Ahmad Al Shaikh, a genius owner who seemingly always gets a big-price fancy in the frame at the Derby – Hoo Ya Mal at 150-1 was the standout – he screams stamina.
Al Shaikh is obsessed with winning the Derby and while this would be the mother of all shocks, a small punt each-way could prove the prudent play.
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