2025 Epsom Derby Festival Tips - June 6-7

"We go in there with confidence" - Appleby aiming his Guineas winners at Epsom

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: Wed 21 May 2025 08:53

Jon Vine 21 May 2025

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Charlie Appleby prepares Ruling Court and Desert Flower for Epsom
Ruling Court is poised for the Derby, showing growth since the UAE Guineas
Desert Flower enters the Oaks as a strong contender, staying unbeaten

William Buick riding Desert Flower (blue) win The Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. (Getty)

Charlie Appleby is aiming for more Classic glory next month, when he sends his two Guineas winners to Epsom.

Godolphin achieved the near impossible three weeks ago, winning four Classics in the space of 48 hours. Ruling Court held on to claim victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, before Desert Flower justified favouritism in the 1000 Guineas the following day.

Over in America, the boys in blue not only accounted for the Kentucky Oaks winner, but celebrated their first Kentucky Derby triumph at Sovereignty held off Journalism to score at Churchill Downs.

In the immediate aftermath of his two Classic wins at Newmarket, Appleby said that Ruling Court and Desert Flower would step up in trip for the Epsom Derby and Oaks respectively. Speaking to the press this week, Appleby's plans remain the same.

"Both are obviously stepping up half a mile." Appleby said. " What I do believe is when you have good horses like that, sometimes they haven't really got to stay a true mile and a half and at Epsom the one thing you have to do is be able travel.

"You get the Leger horses and they finish fifth or sixth at Epsom. You need to just keep yourself balanced coming down the hill and then take it from there."

"Of course there's always going to be that 'if', but we go in there with confidence and William Buick will ride them with confidence that they're going to get the trip."

Ruling Court currently sits behind The Lion In Winter in the latest betting for the Epsom Derby. Delacroix and Pride Of Arras also sit prominently in the market, but Appleby is confident his Classic winner can mount a challenge at Epsom.

He continued, "I think we saw that Ruling Court was a different horse from the UAE Guineas to the English Guineas in his temperament at Newmarket."

"They've both got enough runs under their belts and Ruling Court has gone left-handed at Meydan. I know that's not an undulating track but I feel both showed they are balanced enough by the way they went through the dip at Newmarket, they are slick."

Desert Flower seems to have the easier task of the two Godolphin contenders. Appleby's unbeaten filly is already 2/1 to win the Epsom Oaks, where she will likely come up against Aidan O'Brien's three trial winners and Owen Burrows' exciting filly, Falakeyah.

"Desert Flower has not done as much travelling." Appleby said. "Doncaster is the furthest she's travelled - but she's just got a great mindset and nothing seems to faze her too much."

"As Will said, twice he's ridden her on the Rowley Mile and twice he's not been able to pull her up until the cricket pitch so I think that speaks for itself. I think you could probably say the same about Ruling Court (after the Guineas)."

You can find the latest betting for both the Epsom Derby and the Epsom Oaks here on our website...