Betfred Derby Festival Friday Tips: Earhart to take flight in the Oaks

The Betfred Derby Festival gets underway on Friday, with a bumper eight-race card highlighted by the Oaks at 16:00.

I've looked at each and every race, including the fillies' Classic, to form my Betfred Derby Festival Friday tips.

13:30 - Alfa Duplicate each way @ 11/1

This race represents a significant step up in grade for ALFA DUPLICATE, but the progressive filly has a good draw in stall one and positive tactics could pay dividends.

The daughter of Kodiac has won three of her last four starts in handicap company and is clearly progressing well.

Winning gamely on turf last time out, further progress is anticipated.

14:05 - Possessive @ 3/1

There are few better British two-year-old trainers than Karl Burke and POSSESSIVE won with plenty in hand on debut at York last month.

There's plenty to like about his pedigree and he showed signs of inexperience when scoring by a length last time.

Surely he would have learnt plenty from that and if taking a step forward, he should be going close here.

14:40 - Seagulls Eleven @ 3/1

This certainly isn't the deepest of Group 3 races and the Hugo Palmer-trained four-year-old SEAGULLS ELEVEN gets the nod.

He did struggle on the whole last season, but managed to win the Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in the summer.

Winning a Longchamp Listed contest on seasonal debut, he's entitled to step forward from that.

15:15 - Respond @ 10/3

Andrew Balding is always a trainer to follow in valuable handicaps and his runner RESPOND has progressed nicely this term.

He absolutely bolted up in a warm race at Chester when last seen and it's hard to argue with a 9lb rise off the back of that performance.

Obviously more will be needed now but he could be a Group horse in a handicap.

16:00 - Amelia Earhart @ 2/1

Aidan O'Brien has won the Oaks six times in the last decade and is well set to claim another success here.

AMELIA EARHART had lots of experience last season and eventually got off the mark with an impressive victory when upped to a mile on her final start of the campaign.

Her victory in the Cheshire Oaks should set her up nicely to go close in this Group 1.

16:40 - Celeborn @ 4/1

The lightly-raced CELEBORN isn't the easiest to train, but should still be thoroughly unexposed.

George Boughey's four-year-old won a Leicester maiden on debut at two and won a course and distance handicap last term.

He clearly needed the run when fifth at Newbury last month and we should see a much-improved performance this time around.

17:15 - Greek Mythology @ 9/2

Joseph O'Brien's GREEK MYTHOLOGY made a very good impression when winning on debut at Dundalk in December and although he didn't beat much, he did it in good style.

He was a close up third in a good Listed contest at Naas last time out and a similar performance would surely give him every chance of coming out on top here.

17:50 - Rhoscolyn @ 11/2

David O'Meara's RHOSCOLYN is always worth considering in valuable handicaps and the eight-year-old has slipped to a nice mark here.

The son of Territories has won two of his four starts here at Epsom and that definitely bodes well. Last victorious off a mark of 96 at Goodwood last summer, a return to winning ways could well be on the cards.