Sir Michael Stoute notched his sixth Cazoo Derby (G1) triumph Saturday when owner Saeed Suhail's 5-2 favorite Desert Crown scored by 2 ½ lengths in a tour de force performance from 150-1 longshot Hoo Ya Mal.
Ridden by Richard Kingscote, Desert Crown led from more than a quarter mile out and from there, the outcome was never in question. He finished 1 ½ miles in 2:36.38.
Hoo Ya Mal outfinished late-running Westover by a head for second in the field of 17.
Kingscote was overjoyed to win his first Derby, which was part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
“I can't put it into words, when I was a kid I was useless,” he told England's Press Association. “I have had a lot of support.
“Obviously (Desert Crown) has a huge amount of class, he jumped out great, got in position, travelled great, turned in going in really well.”
Desert Crown, a son of Nathaniel out of Desert Berry, by Green Desert, is the second Derby winner Stoute has trained for Suhail, the first being Kris Kin in 2003.
Stoute's other Derby winners are Shergar (1981), who rolled home by a record 10 lengths, Shahrastani (1986), North Light (2004), and Workforce (2010).
Bred by Strawberry Fields Stud, Desert Crown scored an eye-catching 5 ½ length win on debut at Nottingham last November and took the Dante Stakes by 3 ½ lengths May 12 at York in just his second career start, sealing Derby favoritism.
“His performance delighted me because he had it won a long way out,” Stoute said after the Derby “He has such a good mind to go with his abilities. He was having little niggles (last year) and that's why he didn't run until the backend. He had a foot problem (earlier this year).
“I was very happy when he got to the top of the hill, he was really (well) positioned, he travelled and floated down the hill.”
Kingscote noted Desert Crown's class.
“Gave me a lot of confidence; it's all about him and Sir Michael,” he said.
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