Parisian Pyramid set to strike for red hot Ryan
THE finale to this year’s Derby Festival is the Investec Specialist Bank Handicap and it’s another complicated puzzle to unravel. Last year the old boy Flipando came with a rattle under Philip Makin to lead near the finish and Graham Gibbons will be trying to repeat the trick on the evergreen 10-year-old.
Horses tend to go too quickly in six furlong races at Epsom which means that hold-up runners can often pick them off in the closing stages. Obviously there is a major risk in doing this as Epsom isn’t the easiest course to negotiate through gaps, but it can pay to be patient.
Kevin Ryan’s PARISIAN PYRAMID finished a gallant fifth in this race 12 months ago and I fancy him to land the prize this time. The yard is absolutely flying at the moment and it has to be a positive sign that they have just the one runner in the race. The five-year-old was unlucky at Goodwood last time as the slow pace wouldn’t have suited and he will have to come fast and late from his wide draw. Jamie Spencer is the perfect partner and we just have to hope he gets the breaks at the right time.
Flipando shouldn’t be dismissed despite his age and he has already won a couple of decent races this term. His trainer David Barron is another in cracking form, but it’s hard to imagine that a 10-year-old sprint handicapper will be finding much improvement.
David Nicholls won this four years straight between 2002 and 2005, and similarly to the Dash, he runs five in this. Tajneed normally saves his best for Ripon and he has a lot of weight, but Joseph Henry has been in decent form so far this season and Kieren Fallon takes the ride. However, the interesting one for me is CAPE VALE who ran well at Newcastle the other day from a poor draw and is worth backing as well as Parisian Pyramid at 12/1 with William Hill. Adrian Nicholls is back on board, he is well drawn and should be more than competitive off this mark.
Sonny Red and Esprit de Midas are lively outsiders from the Nicholls yard but greater dangers to our selections come in the shape of Piazza San Pietro, Swiss Cross and Secret Witness. The former has been in decent form, but tends to do better in small fields and is becoming something of a Brighton specialist. Swiss Cross has taken a sharp hike in the weights, but is progressive, and Secret Witness has each-way possibilities.
Robert Cowell’s Lui Rei looks to be coming to hand nicely and would definitely have a chance, while Love Delta, Fireback and Baby Strange are solid yardsticks and wouldn’t be out of it. The final word goes to Olynard who is a rare flat runner for the in-form Dr Richard Newland, after moving from Ralph Beckett’s yard in the winter, and she could go well at a decent price.