Well, the pressure is on now!!

 Last month’s tip Chaldean won the 2000 Guineas under Frankie Dettori at 11/2 and the previous month’s tip Corach Rambler won the Grand National at 8/1. So let’s go for three in a row..

June sees the biggest race of all in terms of flat racing classics. That race is the Derby. If you’ve ever been to Epsom on Derby day, you’re sure to have seen some sights!

I love being a bookie and even more so when I’m betting on track. The racecourse, whichever one it is, is a special place. There’s no-where else where cooks and crooks will be rubbing shoulders with lords and ladies.

Nowhere is this better seen than at Epsom. The ‘members’ enclosure requires a top hat and tails for entry on Derby Day, the tatterstalls area of the track is always buzzing and highly recommended whilst the centre of the course (known as the hill) is free to access. The Hill’s famous for the open top double decker buses that line the track and there’s a fun fair that would put Barry Island to shame.

It’s also an annual gathering for many families of the travelling community – A colleague of mine once found a heavily inebriated one asleep in the boot of his car after the last race (one person that is, thankfully not a whole family!)

The other thing the Epsom Hill is famous for is the mysterious bookie John Batten. John turned up taking bets on the Hill in 1997. What led to the infamy was the fact that he legged it with all his takings before the Derby had been run. He’d put up huge odds for a few of the runners in the race hence fielding a large amount of bets. Figures of up to £70,000 were reported in the racing press as the amount he got away with. I guess we’ll never know how much it really was and to this day his true identity remains a mystery.

Rest assured I won’t be doing that (certainly not this year.) For one, I’m too slow to get away and secondly, I actually want to watch the race. Win or lose there’s a horse I fancy… So here it is..

Arrest is my pick. He’s trained by John Gosden, is the son of Frankel and he’s had an unusual path to the race. Most horses of his calibre will start their careers at places like Ascot or York but this particular one has taken in Ffos Las of all places in its early career.

It’s my hope and belief he’ll be winning the big one in June and in doing so will be the second horse to win a classic, having raced in Wales beforehand. The other was Golan who won a maiden at Chepstow before winning the 2000 Guineas in the year 2001.

Fingers crossed he makes it the third winner in a row for us. Pob lwc if you have a fancy yourself and if you’re a customer of ours at www.dragonbet.co.uk thanks for betting with us.