Epsom Derby Festival Friday Tips: Aidan primed for Oaks glory

It's Day 1 of the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom. In a companion Lucky 15 feature I've covered the first four heats on the seven-race card, so in this piece I'll turn my attention to the remaining three, ensuring we've got wall-to-wall coverage of the entire day's proceedings.

So - the Betfred Oaks is among the races I'm about to preview below, and the Betfred Derby takes place on Saturday. We're loving all the Epsom build-up, and can't wait to see what's in store. Hope you're as excited as we are!

Horse Racing Odds

Fast Racing Results

16:00 - The Betfred Oaks - Minnie Hauk @ 4/1

The Betfred 1000 Guineas winner Desert Flower is a high-class filly by a Group 1 miler, Night Of Thunder, out of a mare sired by a US-bred horse who bombed the only time he tried 1m 4f, in the Belmont Stakes.

Therein lies the conundrum if you fancy the Godolphin champion - will she get the trip? It's a game of opinions, is it not, and my vote, tentatively, is no.

I've arrived at Minnie Hauk courtesy of the fact that trainer Aidan O'Brien has three highly credible candidates - this daughter of Frankel who won at virtually the Classic trip at Chester; impressive Lingfield Oaks trial scorer Giselle; and York's Musidora heroine (10.5f), Whirl.

No stamina doubts there then, and from this embarrassment of riches Ryan Moore has chosen 'Minnie.' That, as they say, is good enough for me. I wonder if the rain I'm hearing in the north-west as I write might affect Epsom, and my latest information is that the ground could be on the dead side at least.

That will bring stamina firmly into play and I'm willing to sacrifice brilliance for staying power over this tricky 1m 4f every time, unless the ground is lightning-quick, which seems extremely unlikely.

It adds to the absolute fascination of the race, and Minnie Hauk looked a filly with depth and substance all right at Chester. She'll surely only improve, and can tough it out close home for 'the lads,' Aidan, and Ryan.

She's progressive, has raced only three times, and there's surely bags more to come.

16:35 - Mirsky each-way @ 11/2

Betfred's each-way terms here are 1/5 odds, 4 places - worth considering in what looks a very tricky heat.

My selection is a six-year-old Siyouni gelding trained by David O'Meara, who has booked the mighty Oisin Murphy to do the pushing. Mirsky shipped in from France 12 months ago and won for the first time for new connections 20 days ago at Thirsk, narrowly, for which he's mercifully only been raised 2lb.

His racing weight today of 8st 11lb reads well in that only two of his rivals carry less, and as he often likes to lead, being drawn in the one box is a potential plus.

I think I'm going to go down the each-way route as I could see him blasting out and trying gamely to hang on, close home. E/w would be a bit of insurance against the chance he might just get reeled in.

Small stakes recommended, still lots of fun.

17:10 - Partisan Hero each-way @ 7/1

I'm going each-way here too with a five-year-old gelding trained by Dave Loughnane - and the quite brilliant Brazilian Silvestre De Sousa has been booked to ride.

Partisan Hero last appeared four weeks ago, at Chester, and what a run that was at just in excess of this 7f trip, in this grade, for a tasty prize. He was denied by just 0.75l, and it was 3l back to the third.

This is another that likes to lead, and coming out of stall two Silvestre could look to make all hard against the fence. Given the likelihood here of traffic problems due to the tricky home straight camber that's not a bad spot to be, and travelling 100 yards or so less than at Chester will also be no hardship if this is indeed the way the race develops.

Partisan Hero is interestingly a former Irish native, with the great Dermot Weld, and he's been sensationally consistent for new connections since moving in January 2024 - never finishing out of the first three in eight runs, which has included two wins.

Last time was a career-best, under claimer Warren Fentiman. With Silvestre engaged, there could easily be even more to come.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.