Dave Nevison's Saturday tips: Derby selection and a 25-1 fancy

Another top-class handicap and another William Haggas-trained favourite who looks to have an awful lot going for her.

Kinswoman took a while to get off the mark and was very expensive to follow in the first half of last year, despite being placed on every run. The key to her was the drop down to five furlongs and she won three out of her last four starts, looking better with each run.

She reappeared recently in a competitive handicap at York and just failed to get up by a neck, looking as though she may just have needed the run. She is clearly held in very high regard and carries a Group One Royal Ascot entry, and this traditional dash looks and obvious second start of the season.

She has a stand-side draw which may well be favoured in the prevailing easy conditions, which Kinswoman has proven she handles very well. It is possible this four-year-old filly is a class apart from these useful handicappers. 

It is brave and possibly quite foolish going against the O’Brien battalion in this year's Betfred Derby, but I feel Andrew Balding’s Dante winner may possibly have the best form and could definitely improve again from his York success.

Several well-placed judges were not convinced Item was fully tuned up for the Dante, but he was well-backed nonetheless and, after being a little fresh and keen early on, he ultimately came away to win impressively.

By Frankel, I don’t envisage the extra distance to be an issue, in fact it is likely to suit, and the strong pace of this Classic will help Colin Keane get him settled early on in the race.

This is a seriously competitive renewal, but I will be disappointed if Item doesn’t go very close.

Give it To Me Oj won twice over course and distance last season, and has no doubt had this handicapper’s Derby as his main target of this season.

He had a good time over hurdles last winter and got stopped in his tracks by a faller when going well at the Festival, and probably didn’t fully stay the trip on his reappearance on the Flat last month at Goodwood.

The six-year-old has a very real chance here in a race that will definitely  be run to suit him. The reapplication of cheekpieces and booking of Toby Moore claiming 7lb look very interesting on a horse that cold already be very well-handicapped.   

Eye Of Dubai went off a well backed 16-5 favourite for this corresponding race last season and disappointed, but he had a decent season, ultimately with a third in the Ayr Gold Cup being the highlight.

He is off the same mark as when favourite for this last year and has Jason Hart keeping the ride, who I believe is the best sprint jockey in the business.

Couple that with the possibility of more rain, meaning the ground could ease further, which will suit Eye Of Dubai more than most. Current odds of 25-1 look value to me.