I hope this is a day to Treasure in search for next superstar

EPSOM. Just saying it out loud fills my head with memories, gets me emotional and allows me to dream about the horses whose names reverberate through history.

I’d have no problem being a contestant on Tenable, one of our sister programmes on ITV, and firing out 10 winners of the Derby or the Oaks in rapid-fire fashion. When a superstar floats around Epsom, you never forget them. These are the greatest contests in Flat racing, watched all around the world.

One of the biggest challenges I have as a presenter with the Epsom Classics, though, is drawing in ‘floating voters’ — the people who have a passing interest in racing who can be hooked for an afternoon in front of the TV, or on course, by the pull of a name. But we have this strange situation where four of the biggest races in the calendar — the two Guineas at Newmarket then the Oaks and Derby — happen so early in the Flat season and in such a short space of time that it’s hard for the public to become familiar with promising, young horses. There are three weeks until Epsom but, as yet, we don’t have our hook. Yes, racing purists will be counting down the days but I want these Classics to be a grand occasion and it’s tough grabbing the limelight, particularly when the Champions League final is staged in London the same night.

A ‘name’ would give the races more oomph and that’s why the next few days are crucial. Today

I will be at Lingfield for the Oaks and Derby trials before heading north to York, which stages the pre-eminent warmup races — the Dante Stakes, for the colts, and the Musidora Stakes, for the fillies. Lingfield really could be key. The King and Queen are represented by a filly called Treasure. Trained by Ralph Beckett (right), who had a good filly called Forest Fairy win the Cheshire Oaks, what a story it would be for the Royals to have a contender with Group One potential. We certainly need a lift. I was left flummoxed by City Of Troy — who could have been our superstar — running so dismally in the 2,000 Guineas and ruling out what I’m sure would have been an assault on the Triple Crown if he had won at Newmarket.

That defeat was put into context at Chester on Wednesday, however. I was at Chester and thought I’d seen a superstar whizz past me in the form of Hidden Law but, from nowhere, the trapdoor to despair — a phrase, unfortunately, you will have heard me use before — opened. Instead of relaying news that Hidden Law was going to be jostling for Epsom favouritism, I had to report that this colt of immense potential had suffered a fatal injury. My heart went out to Charlie Appleby, his trainer, and groom, Wayne Thomas, who were both devastated.

I can see plenty of goodwill gathering in the coming weeks for Charlie, one of racing’s good guys. Notable Speech was a brilliant winner of the 2,000 Guineas for him last Saturday and he has two fine Derby candidates in Arabian Crown and Ancient Wisdom, who will limber up in Thursday’s Dante. Equally, I can see momentum building behind City Of Troy. If anyone can spark a revival in him, it is Aidan O’Brien. To get him to win at Epsom would arguably be his greatest training performance. The man is a genius and only a fool would bet against that happening. With those situations, however, nothing is guaranteed. To generate excitement around Epsom we need something to be unearthed this weekend. Let’s hope it is Treasure.