Desert Crown gave Sir Michael Stoute a sixth win in the Cazoo Derby and David Ord reflects on the trainer's return to the Epsom limelight.
Fireworks on the grandstand roof before the Cazoo Derby – and fireworks on the track five minutes later as Desert Crown lit up Epsom with a scintillating win in the Classic.
It wasn’t quite the visual impression his Freemason Lodge predecessor Shergar made some 41 years previously, but few Derby winners win with this swagger. He had the race in safe-keeping the whole way up the home straight.
There were echoes of another previous Stoute winner too, Shahrastani, as a colt in the Juddmonte silks of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, flew home to try and spoil the party.
Westover may be no Dancing Brave but he gave his connections reason to dream of golden days ahead. For Desert Crown his had arrived.
Racing needs superstars to sell itself as a sport, horses we can hitch our wagon to, and we have one here.
But this day belonged to his trainer Sir Michael Stoute who, at 76, became the oldest handler to win the race.
Racing’s knight of the realm has enjoyed a stellar career, and this was his sixth win in the sport’s blue riband.
Yet the gap between Desert Crown and his last Derby hero, Workforce, was 12 years. It’s a long time even for a trainer with his renowned patience.
In 2020 he lost his long-time partner Coral Pritchard-Gordon and his presence at York to see the his latest superstar land the Dante was heartwarming.
Now he’s back in the spotlight, not a place he’s always looked particularly comfortable, but with a horse to go to war with.
In fact he has a few, Bay Bridge looking a potential star at ten furlongs in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last month as the trainer's undoubted skills at improving older horses surfaced again.
This may be the autumn of his career but all of a sudden it promises to be a golden one.
He was uncomfortable in the press conference speaking about the crowd reaction to his victory, which included a rousing three cheers:
"It was wrong," he joked. "It should have been for the horse. I appreciate it though. It has been a great afternoon. I am to be proud of that (oldest trainer to win the Derby at age 76), I’m proud of the horse."
And racing is proud of the trainer. So did he feel days like this would ever return?
“It is a delight to train good horses and fortunately we have come across another good one," he reflected.
“I didn’t know if Workforce would be the last Derby winner you realise as time moves on your chances lessen but it had been a lot of years and some people didn’t think I’d win another,” he said.
“But we were very hopeful after York that he might win the Derby. His performance delighted me as he had it won a long way out. He has got such a good mind to go with his ability."
It hasn't been plain sailing with Desert Crown but there's never been a hint of panic from his trainer - or the betting public who have such faith in him.
“From an early stage he was having little niggles that is why he didn’t run until the backend last year. There was nothing serious, he was maturing and developing and that was causing a few little problems with niggles," Stoute added.
“That was a foot problem (why he wasn’t out until the Dante). I was very happy when he got to the top of the hill in the Derby, where he was positioned. He travelled and he is a good athlete, he floated down the hill.
“Shergar was very special and he hasn’t quite reached that stage but he has potential. It is a wonderful thrill (to be back here) for the whole yard."
And for Newmarket, home to Stoute since he first took out a training licence.
“The more success Newmarket achieves the better for Newmarket. I’ve been in Newmarket since 1968 so it has been home for a long time. I think there were a lot of well-wishers there as they had been impressed with him in the Dante. They were all thinking of him," he said.
Thinking of - and celebrating with - the man who trains him on Saturday evening too.
It was a feel-good Cazoo Derby.
SIR MICHAEL STOUTE – CAZOO DERBY RECORD (38 RUNNERS)
1978-19 Hill’s Yankee
1979-6 Hardgreen
1980-21 Running Mill
1981-1 SHERGAR
1983-3 Shearwablk
1984-14 My Volga Boatman
1985-13 Shadeed
1986-1 SHAHRASTANI
1986-12 Jareer
1987-9 Ajdal
1987-11 Ascot Knight
1988-3 Doyoun
1989-11 Warrshan
1991-13 Mujaazif
1992-7 Alnasr Alwasheek
1993-15 Shareek
1994-7 Golden Ball
1994-8 Just Happy
1994-16 Jabaroot
1994-UR Foyer
1996-10 Double Leaf
1997-4 Entrepreneur
1998-5 Greek Dance
1999-3 Beat All
2001-2 Golan
2001-7 Dilshaan
2003-1 KRIS KIN
2004-1 NORTH LIGHT
2006-6 Best Alibi
2006-10 Papal Bull
2008-2 Tartan Bearer
2008-4 Doctor Fremantle
2008-8 Tajaaweed
2010-1 WORKFORCE
2011-3 Carlton House
2016-10 Across The Stars
2016-12 Ulysses
2022-1 DESERT CROWN