1.55 Lingfield

The Epsom trials bandwagon rolls onto Lingfield this afternoon and Aidan O’Brien, fresh from a marvellous week on the Roodee, holds a typically strong hand. POCKETFULLOFDREAMS (Best price 9-4) faces stiff competition from impressive Newcastle maiden winner The Sky Is Blazing, but the selection ran a fine race in defeat at Navan when overhauled by a classy rival close home and she can gain compensation for a couple of narrow defeats.  Her conqueror that day, Vociferous Marina, produced an astonishing change of gear from the turn into the straight and it looks solid form with the winner well regarded by trainer Jim Bolger and entered in the Musidora Stakes next Wednesday at York.

Pocketfullofdreams - 1pt @ 9/4

2.30 Lingfield

It almost goes without saying that Ballydoyle representative Sir John Lavery will take some beating in the Betfred Derby Trial, but a lack of an outing and limited experience may render him a little vulnerable and I like the booking of Richard Kingscote for SOFIA’S ROCK (Best price 10-1). Kingscote is typically an excellent judge of pace and, as he is likely to race prominently aboard the selection who made all to win at Leicester in a strong time a fortnight ago, he could prove the perfect ally on a horse that is thriving.

Sofia’s Rock - 0.5pts e/w @ 10/1

3.40 Lingfield

French raider QEMAH (Best price 4-6) sets a lofty standard here courtesy of her impressive victory in last year’s Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. She went on to land another Group One in Deauville following her Ascot success and stall three might not be a bad position as they raced in the middle of the track yesterday. Of course, her superb handler will have loftier targets for her in the forthcoming weeks and months but she has a very good record fresh and it will be surprising if she can’t begin her campaign successfully. Mix And Mingle, conqueror of subsequent winner Tabarrak at Newmarket, could prove the chief danger and looks the each-way play.

Qemah - 1pt @ 4/6

2.15 Ascot

This looks a cracking renewal and APPEARED (Best price 9-2) narrowly gains the vote in an intriguing renewal over Lord George and recent Yarmouth winner Mohatem. The selection looked pretty immature at times last season, not least when swerving left and right in the straight at York when ultimately successful last summer. However, he appears the type to progress with age and a gelding operation may help to iron out the kinks.

Appeared - 0.5pts e/w @ 9.2

2.50 Ascot

Roger Varian holds a decent hand on the card and looks to have targeted one or two races for owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum who will probably be looking forward to seeing UAE PRINCE (Best price 4-1) determine whether his entry in the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting is realistic or a flight of fancy. The son of Sea The Stars may have only won a Ripon handicap off 93 on his comeback, but it was over an inadequate trip and he was forced to race wide for much of the opening half of the contest. He looks a horse that always does just enough in his races so there could be significant improvement still to come.

UAE Prince - 0.5pts e/w @ 4/1

3.25 Ascot

Sir Michael Stoute won this race a decade ago with Heaven Sent, a relative of ARISTOCRATIC (Best price 3-1), and the Newmarket handler will be hopeful of history repeating itself this afternoon. The step upto a mile could be the catalyst to a return to winning ways for the daughter of Exceed And Excel who looked tapped for toe over seven furlongs behind the tactically well-ridden Cheval Blanche at Salisbury. She had previously needed all of Kempton’s seven furlongs to unwind and a straight mile could be ideal.

Aristocratic - 1pt @ 3/1

4.00 Ascot

Trainer Denis Coakley enjoyed success in the Victoria Cup three seasons ago with Gabriel’s Lad and HORS DE COMBAT (Best price 16-1) could be about to repeat that achievement today.  The six-year-old is well acclimatised to the rough and tumble of big-field handicaps, indeed he was a fine third in a 30-runner Britannia Handicap over a mile earlier in his career. That performance was recorded a month after his last victory back in 2014 which admittedly doesn’t mark him out as a good thing this afternoon given that Newmarket win came 19 starts ago. 

However, one of the gelding’s best career efforts on the figures was achieved over seven furlongs at Newmarket a couple of summers back so today’s drop in trip may prove a masterstroke by Coakley who has also shrewdly snapped up the services of the excellent Jim Crowley. Hors De Combat arrives on the back of a fine run at Bath behind Lincoln runner-up Oh This Is Us and looks a sporting bet in a tasty handicap.

Others to make the shortlist include the John Gosden duo GM Hopkins and Remarkable, while Squats would have been a second bet, but for an abysmal run in this race last year. He is usually rock solid in races of this nature but looked to need his comeback badly 12 months ago.

Hors De Combat - 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1

3.10 Haydock

A morning price of 16-1 for a horse that was third in this race 12 months ago, filled the same position in a Greatwood Hurdle and crossed the line just behind the first three in a Betfair Hurdle would seem very fair so SONG LIGHT (Best price 16-1) looks worth a play in a typically open Swinton Hurdle. There must be a day soon where the selection finally gains some compensation for some excellent efforts in big handicap hurdles and his yard did superbly with their hurdlers in the spring with the likes of Chesterfield plundering big prizes. Many will say Song Light has enjoyed plenty of chances already to land a big one and they may well be right, but I’m happy to have a crack at a horse each-way that often puts himself in with a chance of winning and is usually sent off at a decent price.

Read Sam Turner's tips in the Daily Mail every day or at www.dailymail.co.uk/racing

Song Light - 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1