Timeform preview & tips: highlights on Saturday June 5
Timeform highlight the ratings banker, a big improver and a flag of interest on Saturday's afternoon meetings.
The ratings banker
Kondo Isami – 15:05 Doncaster
Mark Johnston saddles three of the seven runners in this class 2 handicap for three-year-olds over the St Leger trip and while top weight Dancing King, who is going for a four-timer, has good claims, pick of the weights is his stablemate KONDO ISAMI who has himself won his last two starts. He already looked in need of a good test of stamina last season when getting off the mark at the third attempt in a novice over a mile and a quarter at Chelmsford. He then returned under joint top-weight in a mile and a half handicap at York’s Dante meeting and ran out a tremendously game winner by a short head from Tashkhan. That form got a big boost when the runner-up, who is proving most progressive himself, won at Haydock last week. Kondo Isami looks sure to go on improving, particularly over this longer trip as he’s a brother to Gold Cup entry Emperor of The Sun who won a listed race in Ireland over a mile and three quarters on the same day that Kondo Isami won at York.
The big improver
Dhushan – 15:25 Musselburgh
William Haggas saddles leading Derby contender Mohaafeth at Epsom but he has an excellent chance of winning Musselburgh’s big mile and a half contest on their card, the Edinburgh Cup, with the Sea The Stars colt DHUSHAN. He steps into handicap company for the first time on a lenient-looking mark after landing the odds with plenty in hand in a four-runner novice at Haydock last time. Dhushan had finished runner-up in maidens in both his previous starts, going down by just a nose on his debut at Goodwood last season and then shaping as though better for the run at Doncaster on his reappearance. He has scope for plenty more improvement and can take this on the way to better things.
The Timeform Flag (Trainer in form, jockey uplift, top rated)
Patient Dream – 14:00 Epsom
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy teams up with in-form trainer Ralph Beckett to ride PATIENT DREAM for the first time in the mile and a quarter handicap for three-year-olds that opens the Derby card. As well as being top rated, Patient Dream looks capable of further progress stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time which should suit as his dam was a mile and a half winner. He won a novice event at Lingfield last summer from four starts as a two-year-old but left those efforts behind when justifying support in a handicap over the extended mile at Epsom’s April meeting. Patient Dream stayed on to lead in the final hundred yards for a length over Coul Kat and that form could hardly have worked out any better, with five of the six runners to have run since being successful.
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