Mike Cattermole column ahead of Oaks and Derby day, plus Enable's return in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown

The Investec Derby and Oaks on the same card on Saturday followed by Enable versus Ghaiyyath in the Coral-Eclipse on Sunday, with the Derby and Oaks from France running alongside. Of course we deserve all of it. Bring it on!

DERBY DILEMMA

As the price has collapsed on English King for Saturday’s July Derby, I can’t help feeling that the market has got it wrong.

Obviously, the Frankie factor has played a part - a huge part - but, surely, on what they have achieved so far, Kameko should be favourite. If the Guineas winner stays, he will take all the beating. How often has that been said, over the years!

Kameko’s victory in the 2,000 is comfortably the best form on offer and, amazingly in this peculiar year, he is the only Group One winner (x2) in the line-up.

His connections would have been encouraged by the good runs from the Guineas-placed duo Wichita and Pinatubo in the St James’s Palace Stakes, although the fifth Juan Elcano was given a similar beating by Russian Emperor at Ascot.

Kameko’s dam stayed nine furlongs and his sire Kitten’s Joy put up his best performance at a mile and a half, although another of his sons, Roaring Lion, third in the Derby, was at his best at ten furlongs.

Crucially, Kameko is a laid-back individual and that could be critical as he bids to join Nashwan and Sea The Stars as recent winners of both the Guineas and Derby.

English King did everything right when winning the Lingfield Trial, he settled, handled the hill superbly and won with any amount in hand. He toyed with Berkshire Rocco and the defeat of that colt was put in context when he was second again to subsequent Irish Derby winner Santiago in the Queen’s Vase.

How much improvement has English King got in him? He is rated 7lb inferior to Kameko at present but that gap is not at all insurmountable and Ed Walker’s colt is hugely respected.

Pyledriver is a most likeable type whose win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Ascot should not be underestimated. The more you watch that performance, the more there is to like. He travelled powerfully, cruised through to challenge and was well on top as he hit the line strongly.

It is hard to see the third Mohican Heights (who finished off well) and fourth Mogul (full brother to Japan) reversing that form and Willie Muir’s rangy colt is fancied to make the frame.

Mogul is one of six for Aidan O’Brien. Does he have any real middle-distance superstars to unveil? Vatican City, second in the Irish Guineas, needs to prove his stamina.

Will Ryan Moore be on Russian Emperor? He was a likeable winner of the Hampton Court Stakes when his last 3f were only a touch slower than Lord North in the Prince of Wales.

He looks a good, honest horse who should run well but perhaps lacks the brilliance to win a normal Derby. But this is not a normal year.

Speaking with Ryan earlier this week, he regretted that even this delayed Derby had come too soon for Highest Ground who is due to run next in the rescheduled Dante at York next Thursday.

One day in early October, perhaps Highest Ground and Victor Ludorum, strongly fancied to make it a Classic double in the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday at Chantilly, along with Saturday’s Derby winner, will all be lining up against the best older horses in Europe in the Arc.

ENABLE IS BACK!

Speaking of which….

Last year, Enable saw off Magical on her reappearance in the Eclipse. On Sunday, the in-form and relentless front-runner Ghaiyyath stands in her way.

We don’t know whether her defeat in the Arc last October has left a mark on John Gosden’s superstar. A top-form Ghaiyyath is going to be a heck of a test. Will she be able to pick him off, especially as she is expected by her trainer to come on for the run?

Ghaiyyath looks the bet.

OAKS DUELS LOOK SPECIAL

Love was such an emphatic winner of the 1,000 Guineas and Frankly Darling looks a bit special too, with the advantage of showing that a mile and a half is perfect for her.

It was fascinating to hear that a tilt at the Derby had even been mentioned for the Gosden filly, but the Oaks remains the only Classic that Anthony Oppenheimer’s Hascombe and Valiant Stud has yet to win.

Love stands in her way. The daughter of Galileo has relations who stayed and others who didn’t. But she looked so laid back at Newmarket that she probably takes after the “slower” side of the family. She will be hard to beat.

Peaceful, the Irish Guineas winner is at least a second Group One winner in the line-up but she is not likely to stay.

The most interesting jockey booking is perhaps Andrea Atzeni on the Newbury maiden winner Gold Wand who is rated 89, a stone behind stablemate Queen Daenerys, but has oodles of potential.

This intriguing female duel on the downs will reveal all.

Then, over at Chantilly on Sunday, another Oaks face-off when Jessie Harrington’s Alpine Star is set to take on Jean-Claude Rouget’s Raabihah in the Prix de Diane.

Again, two outstanding fillies in action, where maybe Alpine Star’s turn of foot could prove decisive.

LEICESTER SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE AHEAD

With the whole of the city of Leicester being placed on lockdown, I couldn’t think of any upside for a horse race meeting taking place there on Tuesday evening. Could you?

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who was astonished that the meeting went ahead with even several trainers pulling out their horses.

Significantly, they included Mick Appleby, who trains just under 20 miles away. It was a struggle to understand why the BHA didn’t take immediate responsibility and cancel the fixture at the earliest opportunity.

Instead, they went with the advice given by the local health authorities. Wouldn’t it have looked good if the BHA had made up its own mind? It’s called seeing the bigger picture, while the rate of new infections at the East Midlands city is double that of the next highest.

We have got to be careful not to stir up more reasons for people to have a go at our sport in these difficult and trying times. Surely next Tuesday’s fixture back at Oadby will be abandoned when the decision is made on Friday.

It remains the only sensible option. But sensible options are not always a given during this pandemic.

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