Horseplay can pay off for punters at Epsom

Andrew Balding’s charge is cracking value for Oaks

HORSEPLAY rates as a cracking value call to lead the field home in the Investec Oaks at Epsom.

Trainer Andrew Balding unquestionably knows his onions, yet were she housed at Ballydoyle or Clarehaven, the filly would not be double figures to win the mile-and-a-half Classic.

Rhododendron is admittedly a worthy favourite, having won the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket as a juvenile.

She also looked unlucky in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but it remains inconclusive whether or not she would have hauled back Winter with a cleaner run.

Everything points towards a big run from the market leader, but it is entirely plausible that Horseplay can expose any chinks in Rhododendron’s armour.

Having broken her maiden by some 13 lengths, the daughter of Cape Cross has kept Balding warm during those long, winter months as he knew exactly what he had in his care.

And when she did resurface at Newmarket on May 7, the outcome was spectacular.

Horseplay had the time of her life in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes as she thrived on the fast ground to account for Isabel De Urbina by three-quarters of a length.

SELECTIONS

CATTERICK: 1.50 Consequences, 2.25 Retrieve, 3.00 Glyder, 3.35 Beach Break, 4.10 Little Miss Kodi, 4.55 Lucky Beggar, 5.30 Tafteesh, 6.05 Penny Dreadful.

EPSOM: 2.00 De Bruyne Horse, 2.35 Remarkable, 3.10 Hawkbill, 3.45 What About Carlo, 4.30 HORSEPLAY (NAP), 5.15 Sutter County, 5.50 Firefright.

MARKET RASEN: 1.40 Azzuri, 2.15 Rainy City, 2.50 Chestnut Ben, 3.25 Star Foot, 4.00 Hedley Lamarr, 4.45 Rebel Yeats, 5.20 Sirius Star.

DOUBLE: Horseplay and Hawkbill.

The Investec Coronation Cup looks tough to work out, but a conservative chance is taken on HAWKBILL.

Charlie Appleby’s colt is one of the best in the business when the mud is flying, as evidenced by victories at Royal Ascot and in the Eclipse at Sandown last year.

REMARKABLE can run amok from the head of the weights in the Investec Click & Invest Mile Handicap.

Quite a lot went wrong for John Gosden’s four-year-old in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, so he did particularly well to get to within four lengths of the winner, Fastnet Tempest.

His form before that in rough-and-tough handicaps was smart and it is quite easy at this stage to imagine him winning this en route to the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot.

Meanwhile, LITTLE MISS KODI looks good for the Follow BritisheBF On Twitter Fillies’ Handicap at Catterick,

HEDLEY LAMARR can star in the C&L Fairburn Property Developments Ltd Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen.