Epsom 2:00 Result

Louis The Fifth is the only runner in the field with a proven official rating (77) and solid, consistent form figures (3-2-4) from three starts, showing he handles this level and has been competitive without much luck (2nd last time). By No Nay Never, he's bred for speed over this type of trip, and Michael Bell/Jack Callan is a sensible booking. Compared to a field littered with newcomers (My Spritely, Fourth Crusade, Quite Cheeky) and lightly-exposed types with a single run (Give Hand, Astabuen both just "3" first time out, Lots Road and Montalbano both flopped last time with "8"), Louis The Fifth has the strongest and most reliable profile. Pressured's 98 figures look to be going the wrong way. Desert Symphony's 892 form is moderate and she's up against stronger, better-bred colts today. The unraced/lightly-raced string from top yards (Charlton, Prescott, Haggas, Balding, Beckett, Walker) are interesting on paper but represent unknown quantities on quick-to-good-to-soft ground first/second time, and it's hard to be confident picking among several unexposed types. Louis The Fifth's proven placed form and rating give a tangible form edge, and the leap to belief in an unraced type at Epsom's tricky track is often best avoided. He looks the most solid, progressive type to step forward for a straightforward stakes success, and represents a sound betting proposition at likely double-figure odds given the make-up of the race.