Cazoo Derby

Following a quiet few days in the aftermath of Ascot and Chantilly, things get moving again on Saturday with The Curragh staging one of the most interesting renewals of the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby for some time. A race that has from time to time in recent years been under the shadow of the European Pattern Committee's guillotine has pulled a trick out of the hat this year to ensure it keeps its exalted status for the immediate future at least. Aidan O'Brien has come to tick off...

What an excellent weekend of European Classics, which featured a sprinkling of some intriguing "what ifs" to flavor what's to come in the months ahead. On Friday, Aidan O'Brien won his 41st British Classic--yes, you read correctly--when Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) short-headed the unlucky John Gosden-trained Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) after an exhilarating face-off in the waning stages of the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. It was a familiar affair in more ways than one. The fillies are by champion half-brothers,...

He has been branded a pessimist by Sir Michael Stoute for admitting as much, but Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who bought Cazoo Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), believes Saturday's achievement will never be topped. Brown, a renowned bloodstock agent with over 20 years of experience in the game, went to 280,000gns to secure Desert Crown on behalf of Saeed Suhail at Book 2 at Tattersalls in 2020 and counts himself as extremely lucky to have sourced what he believes is a once-in-a-lifetime colt.  "I ended up at...

It was a pretty quiet racing week here, so this installment of snippets is a little European-centric. We hope you find it interesting. The Mind Boggles... Tuesday's win in the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom gave Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic winner, including 10 wins in the Oaks. Tuesday was also the 94th Group 1 winner for her sire, Galileo and the second Oaks heroine and third Classic winner for her dam, Lillie Langtry (following Minding and Empress Josephine). Coolmore/Ballydoyle's stats never cease to amaze. Pletch Being Pletch......

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations may have been in full swing on Saturday, but The Queen still found time to telephone Sir Michael Stoute to congratulate him on winning the Cazoo Derby with Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). Her Majesty had been due to attend Epsom for the Derby as she has done regularly through her 70-year reign, but instead had to watch from home as she was advised to "pace herself" through the four days of events, which saw her twice appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with members...

"The Derby is a different game," breeder Gary Robinson told TDN's Alayna Cullen on camera last week, and he now knows that for sure, for his Strawberry Fields Stud just outside Newmarket can proudly boast of being the birthplace of the Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). While most of Robinson's team from the farm travelled to Epsom to watch their graduate's crowning moment, the stud owner himself took a leaf out of The Queen's book and watched the race at home from the comfort of his own sofa....

The bit that most concerns us, naturally, is that the race is not to the swift-albeit ours is a business that will also disclose, fairly reliably, that nor is the battle to the strong; bread to the wise; riches to men of understanding; or favor to those of skill. "Time and chance happen to them all."

Lent extra poignancy this year for being run in memory of Lester Piggott, the blue riband of the turf features colts with the whole range of backgrounds, from a £3,000 yearling to regal homebreds.   ROYAL PATRONAGE (FR), Wootton Bassett (GB)--Shaloushka (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) Owner: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Woodland Walk Breeder: Emma Capon Bloodstock Trainers: Charlie and Mark Johnston Sales History: A 62,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling. Pedigree Notes: He is the first foal of his Aga Khan-bred dam, a winner at up to 1 1/2 miles whose...

"A few minutes, only a few minutes, and the event that for twelve months has been the pivot of so much calculation, of such subtle combinations, of such deep conspiracies, round which the thought and passion of the sporting world have hung like eagles, will be recorded in the fleeting tablets of the past. But what minutes! Count them by sensation and not by calendars, and each moment is a day and the race a life." Words to make you put down your cup of coffee and summon up the...

Steve Cauthen, the American jockey who enjoyed huge success when riding in the UK-including Derby victories aboard Slip Anchor and Reference Point--remembered the greatest of them all, Lester Piggott, who died on Sunday, aged 86.  Recalling what started out as a frosty relationship between the pair, Cauthen, who will form part of ITV Racing's presentation team at this year's Derby meeting, paid a glowing tribute to his great friend and rival.  Cauthen said, "As time went on, obviously we became competitors, as I started to get chances on better horses...

Charlie Appleby has confirmed that Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will be supplemented at a cost of £75,000 for the G1 Cazoo Derby on June 4 after sparkling in what was a crucial workout on Wednesday. The Moulton Paddocks handler already had two contenders for this year's renewal of the premier Classic in Blue Riband Trial winner Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). But after giving that pair an experience of Epsom at the Cazoo Gallops Morning on Monday, Appleby revealed...

Connections of G1 Cazoo Derby favourite Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) were left purring after a scintillating exercise gallop on Thursday as Sir Michael Stoute put the finishing touches on what could become the legendary trainer's sixth win in the Classic. Stoute will forever be remembered for managing Shergar (Ire) to win the Derby in 1981 and followed up on that breakthrough success in the race with Shahrastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003), North Light (Ire) (2004) and Workforce (GB) (2010). Desert Crown advertised the trainer's claims of bolstering his Derby...