Desert Crown storms to £900,000 win in The Derby for motorbike-loving jockey and legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute

Jack Keene

Published: 17:39, 4 Jun 2022
Updated: 18:42, 4 Jun 2022

DESERT CROWN produced a sparkling performance to bag the Cazoo Derby.

The unbeaten colt left a top-class field for dead to win the historic race as the 5-2 favourite in front of a sell-out crowd at Epsom.

Desert Crown wins the Derby to give legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute a sixth victory in the raceCredit: Reuters

Princess Anne presents the winning team of Stoute, Kingscote and owner Saeed Suhail with the Epsom Derby trophyCredit: AFP

The Queen might not have had a runner in the race on her Platinum Jubilee weekend.

But the Classic still ended up in the hands of racing royalty as Sir Michael Stoute became the oldest Derby-winning trainer ever at 76.

It was his sixth win in the race and signalled a return to the big time after several years out of the limelight.

And it was a first win for ice-cool jockey Richard Kingscote - in just his second ever Derby ride.

And though 150-1 outsider Hoo Ya Mal and 25-1 Westover chased him all the way, Dante winner Desert Crown proved just too good.

Kingscote - who loves riding motorbikes at 145mph in his spare time - revealed that he might threat himself "to a new Ducati" after this career-best success.

And he could hardly believe what had happened in the immediate aftermath of victory.

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Taken in the scenes of jubilation, he hilariously admitted: "Honestly, when I was a kid I was useless. I've had a lot of support. He's a fabulous horse."

If you’d taken the short odds about Desert Crown there was rarely a moment’s worry from the second the 17 runners broke from the gates.

He was well-positioned in behind the leaders and was absolutely tanking as they approached the final couple of furlongs.

When Kingscote said ‘go’ the horse responded instantly, and in the blink of an eye the race was over.

"He's not spectuarclar at home but I knew we had got him fitter at home.

"The confidence evaporated as the morning went on! But it got better as I watched it.

"I have been impressed with Richard since when he got involved with us.

"I was very confident he would do the job today.

"He's a deep thinker, he has beautiful hands and he's calm."