Five Derby horses who will love soft ground with ‘a hell of a lot of rain' set to hit Epsom ahead of £1.5m race
'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.
Advertisement
1
Derby fav Delacroix should be able to handle the soft ground should the rain fall
Credit: Getty
But a
Oli Bell said on ITV Racing that up to 30mm of rain could fall between now and the Derby at 3.30pm.
Templegate's
With that in mind, here are five horses who should be able to cope if the going gets muddy.
Advertisement
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
Advertisement
Most read in Horse Racing
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
Advertisement
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
Advertisement
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
Advertisement
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.
FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Advertisement
Read more on the Irish Sun
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare –
Gamble Aware –
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Horse racing tips: ‘His class makes him very hard to beat' – Templegate's NAP loves this trip
TEMPLEGATE'S Sunday tips are below. Back a horse by clicking their odds. Advertisement HAMISH (4.45 Goodwood, nap) Is still going strong for William Haggas. This nine-year-old was as good as ever last season with a Coronation Cup second at Epsom before finishing the campaign with a big-field Listed win at The Curragh. We know he loves this trip with a little cut in the field and his class makes him very hard to beat. SCHMILSSON (3.22 Perth, nb) Looked a natural when winning on his chasing debut over course and distance last month. He made mincemeat of his rivals and a 7lb rise in the weights should hold no fears. Trainer Olly Murphy is in flying form and he can add to his winning tally with Sean Bowen up. Advertisement MISS TONNERRE (3.35 Goodwood, treble) Was behind Oaks second Whirl in the Musidora last time when very much needing the run. The form of her Fred Darling fourth has been franked and she can show more here. IMPERIAL ALEX (4.32 Perth) Looks good for the Lucky 15 after a close second at Uttoxeter last time. He sees out three miles well. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing Templegate's tips FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Callum Simpson credits late sister for inspiring comeback Ivan Zucco KO after being dropped EIGHT SECONDS into fight
CALLUM SIMPSON called on inspiration from his late sister Lily Rae to come from behind and stop Ivan Zucco to win the European title. Simpson suffered the devastating news that his 19-year-old sister had tragically died last year in a quad bike accident on holiday in Greece. 5 Callum Simpson beat Ivan Zucco Credit: Getty 5 He scored three late knockdowns Credit: Getty But the Barnsley boxing hero - who headlined at the Oakwell Football Ground - continues to fight in Lily Rae's honour. And she would have watched on with pride as her big brother came back to stop Zucco in round ten after three knockdowns. Simpson, crowned the European super-middleweight champion, said: "Not once did I give up, those last few rounds I'll be honest I started thinking about my little sister Lily. "I'll be honest, I just thought I had to push for her and for everybody. "This time last year, Lily was sat up here cheering me on and she was there with me tonight when it got tough, when it got hard. "From round eight, I thought, 'I've got to dig deep, I've got to keep pushing, I've gotta do it for her. She was with me tonight." Simpson filled Barnsley's 23,000-seater - but he got off to a horror start after being floored by only the second punch Zucco threw. Simpson made it to his feet with little trouble but opted to try and make Zucco pay - and buzzed the travelling Italian himself before the bell sounded. Most read in Sport The opener was a frenzy of wild shots with both men hurt and the following two rounds was much of the same. And again Simpson was down in round three after a huge left hand as the chaos continued. 'We never know' - Tyson Fury refuses to rule out comeback as Anthony Joshua nears new 'amazing' fight deal The former British and Commonwealth super-middleweight had to pick himself up and dust himself off to turn the fight around. And that is exactly what he did with constant pressure in the second half of the fight turning the tide. By round ten, Simpson was on the front foot and trapped Zucco in the corner - letting off a devastating triple uppercut. It dropped Zucco - who got to his feet - but again he was pinned in the corner and floored with two of the same shots. The underdog European once again made it to his feet but Simpson, smelling blood, jumped on Zucco and forced him to the floor with a barrage of shots. This time there was no coming back for Zucco - as Simpson turned the fight on its head with a comeback victory for the ages. 5 Smith was down twice himself Credit: Getty 5 He came back and credited the win to his late sister Credit: PA 5 Simpson's sister Lily Rae passed away in 2024 Credit: Instagram
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fabio Wardley scores stunning one-shot comeback KO of Justis Huni to set up stunning world title shot
FABIO WARDLEY'S baby daughter will arrive just in time to celebrate her daddy's sensational comeback christening. Ipswich's 30-year-old heavyweight boxed his way up from the Advertisement 4 Fabio Wardley knocked out Justis Huni Credit: Getty 4 It was a huge come from behind win Credit: Reuters 4 Wardley celebrates his huge KO Credit: Getty But he put on a performance worthy of the Tractor Boys' Prem relegation and was dominated by 26-year-old Australian Justis Huni until a sensational 10th round KO. The battered and bruised winner said: "I am so thankful to everyone here, you got me through that, I could not have done it without you. "I have never claimed to be Usyk, with all the skills, but I know how to bite down on the gumshield and find a way to win. "I should have performed better but I pulled something special out of the bag. Advertisement "He pulled out so many tricks and I didn't expect him to bank so many rounds But I screwed my head back on and got the job done." The 26-year-old Aussie caught the hometown hero's attention with a two-jab combination in the opener, stabbing to the body and then the head. But Wardley threatened him back with whipped right hands in spiteful Mexican Fly-branded blue gloves. The Tractor Boys could not intimidate Huni with even their loudest songs and the underdog grew in confidence in the second and scored with the cleaner and more technical shots, while Wardley headhunted bluntly. Advertisement Most read in Boxing CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Wardley was slapped by three meaty left hooks in the third that had the partisan crowd panicked. But then he landed a peach of a punch that stunned Huni and had him staggering backwards and covering up. 'We never know' - Tyson Fury refuses to rule out comeback as Anthony Joshua nears new 'amazing' fight deal Huni ran away with the fourth, cracking Wardley with a pinpoint one-two and clipping him with a left hook. Advertisement Prior to his one-round demolition of Frazer Clarke, Wardley had a bad reputation for slow starts and was returning to bad habits. Wardley inexplicably dropped his hands for the middle rounds and let his face get flattened by every shot Huni threw. It was bafflingly bad boxing from a fighter who had shown freakish improvements with every previous bout. Huni landed every right hand he aimed and made a bloody mess of the Englishman. Advertisement Huni only took the challenge on five weeks notice and was doing Down Under proud with clever technical boxing and nerves of steel. But, after losing almost every round in a stinker of a performance, Wardley uncorked a life-changing shot hat dropped Huni and he failed to rise from. Read more on the Irish Sun Wardley is now the WBA "interim" champion with Oleksandr Usyk defending his full version against Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley. And Wardley's Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren insisted the comeback king will be first in line for the winner. Advertisement 4 Wardley sets himself up for a title shot Credit: Reuters
