Epsom eyecatchers: five to follow and a 20-1 ante-post tip

Maximized, the  Woodcote Stakes winner, looks very smart, but so does the runner-up Havana Hurricane, who looks like a proper speedball and may not have lasted home over this trip, having picked up well from the rear but his run weakening late on.

This was just his second start and the form of his two-length win on debut has worked out well. A return to 5f may be on the agenda and he is entered in some nice races, including the Weatherbys Super Sprint next month.

He could be one for the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, too. That may be ambitious, but this bargain purchase is in good hands and I would be surprised if he did not win some more Black Type before the end of the year.

This son of Camelot was having his first run for almost a year in Friday's 1m2f handicap and ran an outstanding race to finish fourth.

He was clearly not straightforward last year, having disappointed in two starts after finishing second in the Blue Riband Derby Trial on the Downs, but he has since been gelded and given a break, and it will be interesting to see what he can do now he is fully focused on racing.

This race was moderately run, with a finishing speed percentage of 107.9%, and it was never going to suit horses towards the rear, yet Roger Varian's four-year-old ran on strongly, shaping as if he could have a say in some good 1m4f handicaps later this season.

Defiance is quoted at 20-1 with several firms for next month's John Smith's Cup, which makes plenty of appeal. The yard won this race last year with Enfjaar.

A winner of this race last year off the same mark, Rhoscolyn shaped well when finishing third this time on ground that was still slightly on the quick side for him.

The softer the better for this son of Territories; he has won twice and finished second twice on his four runs on heavy ground since joining David O'Meara.

He also did best of those held up, the front two were first and second throughout, and yet Rhoscolyn made up a lot of ground to finish just a length behind the pair. 

He is still well-handicapped should he get his conditions and is one worth following if the heavens open. His record at Goodwood is particularly eyecatching.

The theme of several races at Epsom this weekend, it paid to be on the front end in this contest, and Spiritual ran out a convincing winner having made virtually every yard.

Settled at the back, however, was David Loughnane's Sparks Fly, who did not get the clearest of passages and, once he was angled out for a clear run, ran on very encouragingly to finish third.

She was never getting to the impressive winner, but she is one to follow going forward, particularly if, like with Rhoscolyn, we have a wet summer. All of her best form is on very soft ground and she was a non-runner in last year's Princess Elizabeth Stakes when it was good to soft, so the ground this year would certainly have been as quick as she'd have wanted it.

She has won 11 of her 23 starts, with her form figures on heavy/very soft reading 11116118.

Henri-Francois Devin got back over £85,000 for the ambitious supplement of New Ground in the Derby when the son of New Bay did almost everything wrong, yet still finished fourth at 50-1, just a neck behind third.

He did not get the smoothest of starts out in stall 17, was wide for most of the way around and did not settle well - his head carriage looking particularly awkward.

He only had a few behind approaching Tattenham Corner in another race where the first two home were handy throughout, and he ran on well up the straight when plenty of others had cried enough, finishing fourth and looking as if even further would be no problem to him.

RaceiQ data shows that he covered the final three furlongs over a second quicker than winner Lambourn.

If he can relax better, there are plenty of prizes over this trip to be won with this Juddmonte homebred in France this year.