The Woodcote Stakes is not usually a betting vehicle for me, a juveniles’ race in early June in which there is not a huge amount of form to go on, but I can’t resist Bobsleigh at the price.  I think that he should be a fair bit shorter than he is.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s horse has raced just once, but there was a lot to like about the performance that he put up in that race at Brighton in the context of today’s contest.  He travelled really well through his race just behind the pace, he coasted up to the leaders inside the two-furlong marker, and he cleared away impressively with minimal encouragement from Charlie Bishop.

He handled the fast ground and the downhill run at Brighton well.  The ground is going to be fast today, they are saying that it will be the fastest ground on which the Oaks has been run since 2001, and a proven ability to operate on fast ground at Brighton, a track that is not wholly dissimilar to Epsom, is a big asset to take into today’s race.  Also, the form of the Brighton race is working out well, the runner-up has run well twice in defeat since, while the sixth has since won her maiden.

Eve Johnson Houghton has her horses in really good form, and I think that Bobsleigh’s chance here has been under-rated by the market.

BOBSLEIGH WON (ADV 5/1, SP 5/1)