Racing

Desert Crown earns trainer Michael Stoute a sixth Epsom Derby success

Jockey Richard Kingscote brings home 5-2 favourite to comprehensive win

Desert Crown ridden by jockey Richard Kingscote wins the Cazoo Derby (In Memory of Lester Piggott) at Epsom. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA Wires

Sat Jun 4 2022 - 16:54

Memories of 1981 came flooding back as Desert Crown stormed to success in the Cazoo Derby, to provide Michael Stoute with his sixth victory in the premier English Classic.

It was that year that Stoute first struck gold at Epsom with the incomparable Shergar, but the 2022 model, a lightly-raced son of Nathaniel, did his best impression of the great horse as Richard Kingscote produced a textbook effort in the saddle for a first British Classic win on just his second Derby ride.

Desert Crown was posted wide in mid-division in the early stages as Kingscote strived to settle the 5-2 favourite in the ideal position, but his class soon saw him tracking the Ballydoyle trio of Changingoftheguard, Star Of India and Stone Age, as well as the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained West Wind Blows, who had joined the O’Brien runners in front rank.

The race was put to bed shortly into the home straight, with Kingscote electing not to wait any longer with the smooth travelling colt approaching the two-furlong pole, allowing his mount to stride to the front and lap up the adulation of the Epsom crowd.

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He only needed to be ridden out to record a two-and-a-half-length victory from 150-1 outsider Hoo Ya Mal.

Ralph Beckett’s Westover can perhaps count himself unlucky in third having been held behind the fading early pacesetters, but the day belonged to Stoute and Kingscote, with the Barbadian picking up his first Derby since Workforce’s victory in 2010.

Kingscote told ITV Racing: “You can’t really [put it into words]. I’ve had a lot of support and this gentleman here [Stoute] and this fabulous horse.

“He’s obviously got a huge amount of class, he jumped great, got in a pitch, travelled great and turned in going really well. It was all lovely.

“He’s got a lot of class and gave me a lot of confidence. It’s all about him and Sir Michael really.

“He’s a lovely horse and he’s a lovely gentleman that trains him.”

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