Desert Crown in splendid isolation

Cazoo Derby preview & tips: Who will win the Epsom Classic on Saturday?

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sat June 04, 2022 · 4y ago

We have a tip, trainer quotes and key video replays for the Group One Cazoo Derby at Epsom.

Cazoo Derby tip

DESERT CROWN can justify favouritism and win a sixth Cazoo Derby for Sir Michael Stoute at Epsom on Saturday.

The son of Nathaniel could hardly have been more impressive in the pre-eminent Derby trial, the Dante at York, last month, defying inexperience to win in real deal fashion.

He has to prove himself at the trip but his sire is a strong stamina influence and the likelihood is he'll be travelling better than anything deep into the contest.

With a posse of prominent racers in against him this should be run to suit and he's got a lovely slot in stall 12 to track the pace without fuss.

The Aidan O'Brien and Charlie Appleby challenge is respected given their domination in recent years, but the 2022 Derby can be all about the old master, Sir Michael Stoute, bagging another Classic.

"It's hard to find too many chinks in his armour" | 2022 Cazoo Derby preview and best bets

Timeform Pace Map

Pace Map for Saturday's Cazoo Derby at Epsom

Key Quotes

Aidan O’Brien, Stone Age, Changingoftheguard, Star Of India: “We’ve been happy with his [Stone Age's] two runs this year and he seems to be in good form at home. He has plenty of experience and that was the plan to give him plenty of experience last year and he did plenty of travelling to ensure that. He raced in some very good races and I’m very happy he did all that. We weren’t really disappointed that he didn’t manage to win one last year as he was only just pipped in a few of them last year. He has done well over the winter, but he was always a big strong colt and we always liked him a lot and felt that he was a high-class colt. We think he has come forward from his last run and we are looking forward to it. He has never run beyond a mile and a quarter but he is a good traveller and there is a good chance that he looks like he will get further. I’ve not really looked too much at the draw but I will talk to Ryan and we will make a plan from there.”

“He [Changingoftheguard] seems to be in good form and he got the trip well at Chester on his first start over it last time. I’m very happy with him and he is a very straightforward horse to deal with. It was always the plan to take our time with him last season. He is a very relaxed horse and we will discuss with Wayne (Lordan, jockey) as to what he thinks is best from his draw in 16 but given how straightforward he is hopefully he will be fine from that draw.”

“I’m very happy with Star Of India. The last day we stepped him up in trip and it appeared to suit him. He seemed to get it really well and I’m sure he will get further. He is a very uncomplicated horse that doesn’t get flustered which is important for a horse going to Epsom. At Newmarket that was his first run of the season and that was behind a strong colt (Native Trail, who he finished fifth to in the Group Three Craven Stakes over a mile). After that race we hoped that stepping up in trip would suit his style of racing.”

Peter Brant, Stone Age: “I’m so excited to have a horse in a race like this and breeding the horse makes it even more special. I hope the horse runs well and gives a good account of himself. I’m coming to support him and I can’t ask for much more than that. I think he’s (O’Brien) a winner and he likes to win. He’s meticulous about his training all the way along and he is not afraid to try things with the horse and experiment with what they like and doesn’t give up on them. He’s very special.”

Stone Age returns victorious under Ryan Moore

Read our punting guide to the Cazoo Derby

Charlie Appleby, Nations Pride, Walk Of Stars, Nahanni: “Being drawn in five is a nice draw [for Nations Pride]. He is a horse with plenty of experience having already been out to Dubai. The first half of the race everyone will be jostling for a good position and he is a horse that has got natural pace. From that draw, William can hopefully park him up where he feels it is right to be. We never went quick enough to really test those who came to the track the other week (at the Cazoo Derby Gallops Morning) and we decided he didn’t need to come as he had already won around Lingfield and at Newmarket so hopefully he will handle this track. People questioned how well he handled the dip at Newmarket, but he came out of it very well and he takes plenty of experience into the race. We still had him in the French Derby as well (at the time of Epsom gallop). We sat down and discussed it with everyone at home but we were happy with how the horse was so we decided to come here.”

“Nahanni is a horse going in there with no pressure on him at all as a 20/1 chance. Adam Kirby knows his way around this course and distance blindfolded and the horse ticks a lot of boxes, having won the Blue Riband here over a mile and a quarter. He was doing all of his best work in the last half a mile that day and he is a willing horse with a willing rider on.”

Charlie Hills, Sonny Liston: “Sonny’s in great form. Tom Marquand came and sat on him for the first time on Tuesday and they did a six-furlong piece of work, he was very happy. He’s quite a laid back horse, he’s not too hard on himself and he just went through the motions nicely. He’s come out of Chester well, I think he will have learnt plenty from going around there. He was a bit green coming round the first bend and he lost quite a bit of ground, but he showed a nice turn of foot coming into the straight.

Is Desert Crown the real deal heading to Epsom?

Jack Mitchell, jockey of West Wind Blows: “I’ve ridden in plenty of Group Ones, but they have been mainly abroad. I still don’t know how I got touched off in the 2020 German Derby on last year’s Arc winner Torquato Tasso.

“Like West Wind Blows, Torquato Tasso had only had two runs before going into that and he was a decent price too. He has a similar profile and he has done nothing wrong since his last race at Nottingham.

“The mile and a half is well within his reach and that trip will probably see the best of him as he has very high cruising gears. He is relatively unexposed and I just hope that he can run his race. I was quite happy with stall 11 as if he does run a bit keen we know that we are not boxed on the inside and that if he does pull I can let him go on and use his stride.

“If he finishes in the first six it would be a massive run but there will be some nice races for him this summer regardless of what happens here.”

Jason Watson, jockey of Masekela: “There are a lot of question marks surrounding him with the main one being ‘does he stay?’, as a mile and a quarter looked to be what he wanted in the Feilden.

“The Dante was meant to be next but he flared up in the stalls so we didn’t have another opportunity to see what he was about. They have been very happy with his homework and he is going into it as well as he could be without a prep run.

“I’d like to think having the experience he does is a positive going into a race like this as he has been up against some quality horses like Native Trail, so he hasn’t got bad form. He is a nice big horse that is very well balanced so the track shouldn’t be an issue we just hope the ground doesn’t go too soft."