Fran Berry column featuring Salouen in Investec Derby at Epsom

Just before the heavens opened briefly at York last weekend I was lucky enough to be on board Golden Stunner as she made all in the opening seven furlong handicap.

I’d suggested in last week’s column that she had just come to hand in the past week or so and the only surprising thing for me was how well she coped with the drop back in trip.

She was really stretching away at the line and was very impressive so hopefully there’s more to come from her throughout the season.

This win opens up plenty of options for her as we know she stays a mile well and I’d expect her to keep improving.

My other winner came at Leicester on Monday as the David Evans-trained Smokey Lane landed the feature sprint handicap from Andrew Balding’s Scorching Heat and Roger Varian’s Ejaaby.

Smokey Lane is going to go up the weights a bit for winning by nearly three lengths but he’s one to be interested in when he goes up to seven furlongs and there’s some rain around.

Onto Epsom’s two-day Investec Derby Festival and I’m extremely excited to have rides in the two Classics.

Firstly it’s Air Pilot in Friday’s first Group One – the Investec Coronation Cup – and he’s possibly got a better chance than the odds suggest.

It’s an unusually big field for this race but I’ve been looking forward to going back up to a mile and a half with him for a while. His proven ability to handle the track is a big plus and any rain around would be a help for him and it does seem he’s a better horse with cut underfoot. The odd storm is forecast and I'd definitely welcome that for him.

It’s obviously a big step up after winning a Group Three narrowly in Ireland but the Coronation has seen one or two surprises down the years and I’d be delighted if he ran into the frame.

Examiner is another one stepping back up in distance as he looks to enhance his track record in the Investec Wealth & Investment Handicap.

He won over the extended mile at this meeting last year and course experience in a massive plus. He ran quite well at Wolverhampton in the Lincoln Trial on his return from a break and you can excuse any horse a poor run in the Lincoln, when he struggled to get competitive after suffering a bit of trouble in running.

I could see him bouncing back to form and while his stamina isn’t completely guaranteed he should be perfectly fine over 10 furlongs now he’s just a little bit older. He also runs off exactly the same mark as when winning last June so he’s handicapped to be thereabouts.

I hope Isabel De Urbina has a live each-way chance in the Investec Oaks. It was only the second run of her life and her first of the season so to finish a close second to Horseplay in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket was really encouraging.

She was outpaced briefly and ran a bit green going into the Dip but got it together in the final furlong. We think the step up in trip will be a help to her and she’s obviously still unexposed. She’s been going well at home since her comeback.

Rhododendron is clearly the one we all have to beat. She’s one with quality Group One winning form and you could argue she was a bit unlucky in the 1000 Guineas. Winter franked the form in Ireland so she’s very much the class act in the race.

I then move onto Goodwood’s evening meeting before returning to Epsom on Saturday.

Merchant Marine was very green on his debut at Windor and should be much sharper with the experience behind him. He goes up in trip, which should suit, and we’ve decided to try him in a visor to help him settle.

Looks a Million is first time out in the Coates & Seeley Fillies’ Novice Stakes and she’s out of a very fast mare in Look Busy. She was a bit of a freak in terms of sprinters so let’s hope some of that raw speed has passed onto this filly.

Saint Contest is an interesting one in the Capital FM Handicap. He looked quite a nice youngster in France and made a decent start to his juvenile hurdle career with Alan King.

He’s back on the level here and it’s only his second Flat start in Britain after he was fourth at Wolverhampton in the autumn. I’d like to think a mark of 77 won’t be too harsh and the track could suit him well.

I’m going to be fairly excited on Derby day and hopefully Desert Skyline can kick things off with a really positive showing in the Investec Private Banking Handicap.

I suggested after his Newmarket run that it could be Pattern races for him next but this event looks a good chance for him. I have no doubt he’ll improve from his first outing of the season and he’s very straightforward.

It looks a warm race, as it often is, but there’s a lot to like about this horse.

Crowning Glory runs in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and looks a little bit up against it on the figures.

Her mission for the moment is to secure some black type and that would be great if she could be placed here. I can’t stress enough how important track experience is around here and she won at Epsom in August, beating Ripoll who won at Kempton on Wednesday evening, and from stall one I’d hope to find the box seat on the heels of the leaders and save some energy for the finish.

She’s potentially been underestimated by the bookies and that’s definitely the case with my Investec Derby ride, Salouen.

He looks a very good ride to pick up and I’m really looking forward to it, which will only be the second time I’ve ridden in the great race.

The last time I rode in the Derby I was on 66/1 chance Acapulco and he finished ninth so I’d be looking to do better than that and his form entitles him to do so.

He’s one of the highest-rated runners in the field with a mark of 110 and is very consistent.

He ran a great race when second in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly as a two-year-old and proved that to be no fluke when third to Rivet in the Racing Post Trophy.

Since then he’s come out and finished a neck second to Khalidi and John Gosden’s horse is now around 25/1 after winning well at Goodwood since, while my horse is 66/1.

It’s clearly a big ask for him but it looks such a wide-open year, with no clear-cut winner of any of the trials, and the big field is quite telling in that no one horse is putting anyone off running.

Salouen is in good form at home and he’s out of a Galileo mare so the Derby trip could unlock some more improvement. He’s by Canford Cliffs, who has been doing well over longer distances than you might think with his progeny, so fingers crossed I can gain a good position from what looks a nice draw in 11.

I can’t wait to get on him and with a bit of luck we could be involved in the finish.