2:35 Epsom
This Class 4 handicap over 7f at Epsom on good to soft ground brings together nine runners, most of whom are rated in the fair or modest bracket. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Musical Angel heading the list on 67, followed by Silver Trumpet on 61, Uppercase on 57 and Galileo Island on 55. Several hold previous winning form at the track, and with the pace shape pointing to a lone leader scenario, the ability to race prominently or close effectively from off the pace will be key.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is a lone leader with high confidence, suggesting one horse will secure an uncontested lead that could prove difficult for those coming from further back to reel in. Musical Angel is noted as a front-runner who tends to make the running or race prominently, which aligns perfectly with the shape and could hand her an ideal trip. The remaining principals and the rest of the field are almost all held-up types who will be looking to produce their effort late, raising the key question of whether any of them can bridge the expected gap to the uncontested leader in the closing stages.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Musical Angel KTB Selection67/100
Musical Angel is a fair performer who has won over this trip and on this ground. She has already scored at Epsom from five runs here and arrives in reasonable form after a recent third. The trainer's modest 9% strike rate at the track is offset by the jockey's stronger 17% record from his 35 rides. As a front-runner who tends to make the running or race on the pace, she looks set to enjoy the ideal scenario presented by the lone-leader pace shape. Her recent form figures of 1-5863 underline that she retains plenty of ability, and with a KTB Fit Score of 67 she tops the ratings. Drawn in stall 6, she holds every chance of controlling matters from the front.
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2Silver Trumpet61/100
Silver Trumpet is a fair performer who has won twice at Epsom from five runs and also knows this trip well with five wins from 22 attempts. He has shown consistent competitiveness on good to soft ground without winning on it and his recent form of 376152 includes solid placed efforts. The trainer holds a 17% strike rate here from 157 runs while the jockey has an excellent 33% from 27 rides at the track. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will need the leader to come back to him if the uncontested pace materialises as expected. With a KTB Fit Score of 61 he is the second-highest rated, and his course record adds considerable appeal in a race where many hold track form.
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3Uppercase57/100
Uppercase is a fair performer who has already won over this trip and on this ground. He showed his liking for Epsom when scoring here on his only previous visit and is drawn low in stall 1. The yard has a solid record at the track while the jockey is less proven here. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will be hoping the leader does not get too far out of reach given the projected pace shape. His recent form of -93118 demonstrates that he can raise his game when it matters, and the KTB Fit Score of 57 keeps him firmly in the mix. The 19% trainer strike rate at Epsom from 32 runs is another positive.
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4Galileo Island55/100
Galileo Island is a fair performer who has already won over this trip and at this track from just one visit. Recent form has been ordinary and the yard is struggling at Epsom with a 0% strike rate from 16 runs. Jockey has a strong record here though the horse remains unproven on good to soft ground. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he faces the same challenge as the other closers if the leader is allowed an easy time upfront. His KTB Fit Score of 55 places him just behind the top three, and while the trainer's record at the track is a concern, the jockey's 18% strike rate from 28 rides offers some compensation.
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5Norcross Brow51/100
Norcross Brow is a fair horse who has been in excellent heart this year with three wins from his last five starts including at this trip. He is proven on good to soft but has no experience at Epsom and the trainer's small sample here makes the switch to the track an unknown. Jockey Cieren Fallon has a solid 18 percent strike rate from 49 rides at the course. Usually held up, he steps up in class with a KTB Fit Score of 51.
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6Dapper Guest49/100
Dapper Guest is a fair performer who won on his only previous visit to Epsom and has scored four times at today's trip. He has shown mixed form this year but produced a solid effort when winning at Kempton last time. The trainer holds a respectable record at the track while the jockey is still seeking his first Epsom success from seven rides. Usually held up, his KTB Fit Score is 49.
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7Daring Legend41/100
Daring Legend is a fair performer who has been in and out of form this year and showed little spark when fifth on his most recent start. He drops back to 7f having won at the trip before yet his sole run on good to soft ground brought no reward and the trainer is still seeking a first Epsom winner from 11 attempts. The jockey has a modest 5% strike rate here from 65 rides. Usually held up, he steps up in class with a KTB Fit Score of 41.
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8Cuban Lady38/100
Cuban Lady is a modest performer with a solid recent record of 6-8432 that includes two placed efforts. Has shown she can be competitive on good to soft ground and has placed at today's trip, though she is yet to win at either. Trainer's modest 9% strike rate at Epsom is backed by a decent sample while the jockey has only one ride here so far. Usually held up, her KTB Fit Score is 38.
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9Euphonia37/100
Euphonia is a modest performer who has won twice at this trip from five attempts and showed useful placed form earlier in the year. He makes his first visit to Epsom from stall 2 while the trainer holds a 6% strike rate here from 63 runs and the jockey is still seeking his first success from 21 rides. The colt remains unproven on good to soft ground. Usually held up, he has a KTB Fit Score of 37.
KTB verdict
Musical Angel stands out as the KTB Selection. A fair performer who has already won over this trip, on this ground and at Epsom, she arrives in reasonable form and her front-running style looks perfectly suited to the projected lone-leader pace shape. The combination of her course record and the jockey's solid strike rate at the track further strengthens the case. Silver Trumpet, with two course wins and a strong jockey record, is the most obvious danger, while Uppercase and Galileo Island cannot be dismissed given their own prior success at Epsom.
KTB Selection Musical Angel
This is the narrative read of the 2:35 Epsom. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Epsom racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Epsom results & records page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is best placed to take advantage of the uncontested lead?
Musical Angel, whose front-running style and tendency to make the running align with the lone-leader pace shape.
How many of the principals have previous winning form at Epsom?
All four principals have won at Epsom: Musical Angel once from five runs, Silver Trumpet twice from five, Uppercase once from one, and Galileo Island once from one.
Which horse is stepping up in class?
Both Norcross Brow and Daring Legend are stepping up in class.
Which runners remain unproven on good to soft ground?
Galileo Island and Euphonia have no runs on good to soft and are therefore unproven on the surface.
What is the trainer's strike rate at Epsom for the yard of the selection?
Simon Dow has a 9% strike rate at Epsom from 535 runs.
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