Nap of the Day: Docklands to deliver on Derby day

The Nap of the Day takes us to Epsom - where else - on Saturday, on the undercard of the 2025 Betfred Derby.

On the undercard to the Betfred Derby at Epsom on Saturday is the Betfred Diomed Stakes - a Group 3 over 1m½f for horses aged three and above.

Nine go to post including DOCKLANDS, who I fancy to take all the beating.

Harry Eustace's five-year-old has been a star for the Newmarket yard, winning the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2023.

He's failed to return to the winners' enclosure in 10 starts since then, but he's been keeping very good company and for the most part holding his own. More than, in fact.

The son of Massaat was third in the £100k Balmoral Handicap back at Berkshire later in 2023, before a narrow defeat to subsequent Group 2 winner Quddwah, rated 114 today, in a Listed event over course and distance 193 days later.

Between then and now, he's finished runner-up to last year's star miler Charyn (122) in the Queen Anne back at Royal Ascot, proved no match for Betfred Derby hero City Of Troy in the Juddmonte and bumped into the outstanding Via Sistina on his travels across the world.

Last time out, back at his favourite Ascot, he was just touched off by John & Thady Gosden's Sardinian Warrior, who subsequently finished runner-up to Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe fourth Sosie in a Group 1 over in France. He looks a very nice type for those connections.

A replication of that effort should be more than enough for Docklands to gain a richly-deserved victory in this company.

Persica is sure to prove popular under the peerless Ryan Moore. He's a course winner and boasts some excellent pieces of form, but not as strong as the selection as far by my calculations. He was also very disappointing in the Lockinge at Newbury last time out, and needs to leave that well behind.

Royal Playwright hasn't won since his debut last year and although he's also bumped into some good animals, he's got 10lbs to find on official ratings.

German raider Geography is hard to weigh up, but I'm not convinced - nor am I about the other five in the field.

Docklands is the best horse in the race as far as I'm concerned and he gets three pounds from his main market rival. That'll do for me.

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