Epsom Tips: Ross Millar has two overpriced selections on the Oaks undercard

If you prefer punting in handicaps rather than Group races, this column should be right up your street. Tipster Ross Millar marks your Friday Epsom card with two juicy selections.

2.35 Epsom, 1m½f World Pool Handicap

There should be a true tempo in this handicap with the in-form Excel Power, talented Fantastic Fox and lightly raced Variyann all wanting to be prominent. A likely fast pace, combined with the stiff finish at the end of the notorious Epsom straight, might result in a pace collapse, which would perfectly suit veteran Oh This Is Us.

Richard Hannon’s nine-year-old is without a win since he plundered the Group 3 Diomed Stakes, which is run over this course and distance, at this meeting last year. However, he has now dropped to a very attractive mark of 92 (20lb below his career high) and showed clear signs of a revival last weekend at Chester, where he would have finished closer if he didn’t encounter traffic problems.

Epsom is a unique track, and in three visits Oh This Is Us has advertised his ability to handle the camber and undulations. He understandably doesn’t retain the same level ability he showed a couple of years ago, but he arrives here in good heart and still has enough talent to win this off his current mark.

Selection: Oh This Is Us @ 8.2

3.45 Epsom, 1m2f Cazoo Handicap

Cap Francais has already rewarded our faith this season with a big-priced Newmarket win in April, and he followed that up with another good effort off a 5lb higher mark when runner-up at Chester last month. He didn’t look entirely in love with the sharp nature of the track, so can be marked up for his effort.

He’s only been to Epsom once before and ran to a high level when he finished second behind the 116-rated Cape Of Good Hope in a Listed contest. His next outing saw him finish a solid fourth in the Lingfield Derby Trial - Lingfield is similar in its topography to Epsom.

Any rain would be a negative, but he has no problem with good to soft ground and he saw out this 1m2f trip well at Chester, so the stiff finish at Epsom is a positive. 

He will be ridden with restraint, so will rely on luck-in-running, but the booking of William Buick, who is operating at a healthy 22% strike rate, looks positive. I’m confident that Ian Williams’ charge can build on his already successful start to the season and bag this decent prize.

Selection: Cap Francais @ 10.5

Recommended bets

Oh This Is Us (2.35 Epsom) @ 8.2
Cap Francais (3.45 Epsom) @ 10.5