Tipperary racing pundit will be represented in the Epsom Derby
Kevin Blake is part owner of James J Braddock
Tipperary-based trainer Aidan O’Brien saddles seven runners of the 17 runners in Saturday’s Epsom Derby, including the favourite Benvenuto Cellini.
And there’s another Tipperary connection to the race, as Aidan’s son Joseph O’Brien trains another contender, James J Braddock, which is part-owned by Kevin Blake from Golden.
The son of a local dairy farmer, Kevin still lives in Golden.
He is well known as a horse racing television pundit on ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing. Last year at the Derby he famously picked the first three finishers when asked for his 1-2-3 picks on ITV Racing.
This year Kevin will be at Epsom as an owner of James J Braddock, named after the famous American boxer who was the World Heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937.
The horse has belied his low yearling price (40,000 guineas) to improve into a live contender in the Derby, after beating the Aidan O'Brien-trained Pierre Bonnard in a photo finish in the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial at Leopardstown last month.
Since 2017, Kevin has been working closely with Joseph O’Brien as a race planner, consultant and bloodstock agent.
He has also spent many years building Golden Farm into a thoroughbred stud.
He wished the very best of luck on Saturday.