FAME AND GLORY THE ONE TO BEAT IN DERBY

IT’s DERBY/OAKs weekend and two cracking races in prospect.
CORONATION CUP
Before we start with the classics we will start with the Investec Coronation Cup (Friday 2.45) and what a high-class field going to post for this one in which Mick Channon’s much-travelled Youmazin leads the early week betting on 11/4.
Oaks winner Look Here also makes his seasonal debut in the race but we have gone for the ever-improving DUNCAN from the John Gosden yard.
He hacked up over this course in April and proved that was no fluke when winning with ease at Ascot next time out. He steps up in class here and we think he will go well. He is as big as 12/1 in the early week markets.
Sean Graham Bet: Youmazin (11/4), Ask (6), Look Here (7), Frozen Fire (8), Casual Conquest (9), Doctor Fremantle (10), Duncan (12), Eastern Anthem (12), Buccellati (16), Expresso Star (16), All The Aces (33), Scintillo (33).
The Oaks
The ladies are next up on Friday with the Investec Oaks (4.05) where the Michael Bell-trained Sariska leads the market after bolting up in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.
Henry Cecil has his horses flying at the moment and MIDDAY looked the part when running away with the totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial Stakes and she will be a big player come Friday afternoon.
If the John Gosden-trained RAINBOW VIEW can reproduce her two-year-old form then she will be slap-bang in the mix as well and she has been heavily punted in to 7/2.
Sean Graham Bet: Sariska (11/4) , Rainbow View (7/2) , Midday (4) , Phillipina (8), Perfect Truth (9), Oh Goodness Me (20), Three Moons (20), High Heeled (28), Wadaat (40), Nashmiah (50), The Miniver Rose (50), Tottie (100).
The DERBY
On to the big one on Saturday, the Investec 2009 Derby, and we have a few stats on the big race from the past ten years before we start the 2009 preview.
2008 - Last year’s winner, New Approach, was just pipped in the Guineas but beat Tartan Bearer in a great finish at a well-backed 5/1.
2007 - Authorised won in blistering style and in the process broke Frankie Dettori’s derby hoodoo as the 5/4 favourite.
2006 - Sir Percy finished like a train under Martin Dwyer and punters were well rewarded with the 6/1 starting price
2005 - The field was well and truly motivated by the heavily punted Michael Bell-trained Motivator who returned 3/1 with Johnny Murtagh on board.
2004 - North Light was well fancied to complete the Stoute/Fallon double in 2003 and 2004 and they did just that when North Light bounded up the Epsom hill.
2003 - On ground which was very soft favourite Hawk Wing did not get through, leaving Kris Kin to take advantage, winning under Kieran Fallon at 6/1.
2002 - The favourite Refuse To Bend at 11-4 was a big disappointment for the Dermot Weld stable and High Chaparral won for the Murtagh/O’Brien partnershp at 7/2.
2001 - The PG favourite Derby horse of all time, Galileo, beat Golan this year and went to win the Irish Derby which yours truly witnessed at first hand.
2000 - Henry Cecil's Beat Hollow, a well-backed Derby favourite, struggled with the daunting Epsom racecourse, but still finished a respectable third behind the John Oxx-trained Sinndar who won at 7/1. It was the first of four Derby winners for Johnny Murtagh who goes for an amazing fifth winner this weekend.
Johnny Murtagh will be on board Rip Van Winkle on Saturday after the jockey told Channel 4 pundit Johnny Francome that Rip was the best horse he has sat on and after his Guineas fourth he has been all the rage in the betting – that is some accolade.
Fame And Glory, who bolted up in the Derrinstown Stud Derby trial at the beginning of May, is the horse that is ignored by jockey Murtagh, but for us he looks the one that they all have to beat come Saturday. We know he will stay the Derby distance and should be in contention come Saturday afternoon and Seamy Heffernan who partnered him in the Derrinstown will be on board; but expect big market moves in this race in the coming days and your guess is as good as mine as to who will go off favourite.
2000 Guineas winner Sea The Stars has been on a many a pundit’s lips since winning that race and if he stays the one and a half mile trip then he will be a big player with jockey Mick Kinnane sweet on his chances.
I backed Crowded House after he won the Racing Post Trophy at 10/1 – he’s now as big as 28/1 after his flop in the Dante. Our each-way hope is the the Wille Haggas-trained SOUTH EASTER who made his racecourse appearance at Newbury in April when running second to the useful Border Patrol, and then he won the Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes at Chester when stepping up in distance.
He is as big as 40/1 with Sean Grahams, 10/1 the place, which could be a half-decent bet come Saturday.
So it’s Fame and Glory for us and South Easter each-way.
Sean Graham Bet: Fame And Glory (10/3), Sea The Stars (7/2), Rip Van Winkle (6), Black Bear Island (8), Gan Amhras (8), Masterofthehorse (14), Age Of Aquarius (25), Kite Wood (25), Crowded House (28), Golden Sword (33), South Easter (40), Debussy (50), Montaff (50).