Epsom Downs Tips: Beckett hoping to be Victorious on Thursday

There are seven UK and Irish race meetings to look forward to on Thursday but it is the action at Epsom Downs that I am most intrigued by. I've taken a good look at the six-race card for the day and picked out my three best bets for you to consider.

Read on to find out my Epsom Downs Tips for Thursday, July 17.

17:55 Epsom Downs - Victorious One @ 4/6

The first race of the day is the Betfred 'The Classic Bookmaker' EBF Maiden Stakes, which is a Class 4 contest over 7f. There are just five runners declared for this one and not one of them has stronger claims than VICTORIOUS ONE.

This two-year-old son of Siyouni has had a respectable start to his racing career. His debut saw him place second at Goodwood on June 8, at 6f. His last outing saw him move up to 7f and he posted another second-place finish at Salisbury, losing out to Goodwood Galaxy by just 1 3/4 lengths.

He heads to Epsom for the first time with the application of blinkers, and a trip to the hallowed Betfred Derby turf - could mean Ralph Beckett's charge gets his head in front today and starts living up to his exalted name.

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19:35 Epsom Downs - Secret Beach @ 6/4

This Class 4 handicap over 1m 4f for female amateur jockeys looks an interesting contest, with eight runners declared for this one. There are a handful leading candidates based on form, and the one I like the look of is SECRET BEACH.

The four-year-old has been in good form this season following wind surgery and his last appearance saw him land his first career victory, which came at York, over the same distance being covered today. He won by 2 3/4 lengths and there will be hope that there is more to come from him.

He has made excellent progress in recent months, having posted second and third-place finishes at Newbury and Brighton respectively. He returns to Epsom after a year, with his last outing here being a respectable second in the Betfred Nifty 50 handicap.

Lauren Frost is booked for this ride and she should be pleased with this pairing based on current form.

20:05 Epsom Downs - Crimson Spirit @ 4/5

CRIMSON SPIRIT rounds off my selections and he is declared for the penultimate race of the day - a Class 4 handicap over 7f. This is only a small field of six and this star from Daniel and Claire Kubler's yard holds the strongest claims.

The four-year-old gelding is looking to make it a hat-trick of successes, having won his last two outings at Brighton and Salisbury over the same distance. He also boasts a C&D victory from August 2023. Richard Kingscote was on board that day, as he was for the horse's brace of successes in recent weeks, too.

Crimson Spirit is 2lbs up for that last win but current form suggests that there's still plenty more left in the tank. He and Kingscote are going for three on the spin and they have a very strong chance. Conditions are looking good to firm, which was the case in both recent triumphs at Brighton and Salisbury.

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