GB: After a couple of relatively quiet seasons by his own exalted standards, ten-time champion trainer Sir Michael Stoute is firmly back in the spotlight as he bids for a sixth Derby triumph via ante-post favourite Desert Crown.
UPDATE: How I won the Derby on Desert Crown – jockey Richard Kingscote in his own words
The Newmarket legend, 76, is in his 50th year with a licence and it is 41 years since the mighty Shergar gave him the first of his five Derbys with his unforgettable ten-length romp under a teenaged Walter Swinburn back in 1981.
Since Shergar’s record-breaking victory, Stoute has also won the Derby with Shahrastani, who beat Dancing Brave in the notorious 1986 edition, plus Kris Kin (2003), North Light (2004) and Workforce (2010).
Now he is hoping Desert Crown came overcome his relative lack of seasoning to become Derby winner number six. “He has only had two starts and is probably the most inexperienced horse I’ve taken to the race as they all had more than two,” he explained.
“I would have liked to have two or even three two-year-old races and two this year,” Stoute went on. “They are all different but this fellow has a very good mind and he is a very relaxed racehorse.
“He has done nothing wrong on the racecourse – in fact, he has done very well. I’m not even thinking about winning it, let’s get the horse there. Let us hope, as they say.”
After making a winning debut at Nottingham in November on his sole start as a two-year- old, Desert Crown thrust himself to the top of the betting for the Cazoo Derby with a stylish success in the principal trial, the G2 Dante Stakes at York earlier this month.
‘You couldn’t fault the Dante performance’
Although Stoute isn’t renowned for talking up his horses, he says his new star – owned, like 2003 winner Kris Kin, by Saeed Suhail – would not have to improve much from his performance on the Knavesmire to score at Epsom on Saturday week [June 4].
“You couldn’t fault the Dante performance; he was very efficient,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t confident as we were only just ready to go to the races as he had a hold-up with a bruised foot.
“When he won at Nottingham, he won impressively which surprised us last year. He is workmanlike and not spectacular at home, so he obviously does a little more on the racecourse than he does here.
“He was a good-looking horse with a good temperament, but we had to learn something about him on the racecourse and it was a positive. He is a nice athlete and has a lovely temperament.”
Stoute is happy with the son of Nathaniel’s progress at home since the Dante. “He’s had just one piece of work since the Dante,” he reported. “It was just a loosen-up really. He went six furlongs quite comfortably.
“He wouldn’t have to come on too much but it was a good performance that puts him in the reckoning. He did surprise me; it was a solid performance in a good time.
‘Given the yard a great lift’
“If you win the Dante you don’t have to improve much to win the Derby. He has still got to do it though. But all good horses are important and it is nice to have them – and it has given the yard a great lift.”
Ryan Moore, who rode Workforce, is required by Aidan O’Brien, leaving the way clear for Richard Kingscote to maintain his association Desert Crown, whom he has partnered to both victories so far.
“He has ridden him plenty of work and won twice on him and he gets on well with him, so we will go down that route,” said Stoute. “The owner is happy to have him on and so am I, so we will go down that route.
“It doesn’t feel strange (that Ryan) is not on board as he has been doing it for years. He has been riding horses for Aidan in important races for a long time.
“That is his first port of call and he makes a big contribution here riding work and race riding when he can after Aidan’s commitments.”
The association between Stoute and Kingscote has blossomed during the last couple of seasons, as the trainer explains.
“Richard came in, though I can’t remember who introduced him, and he started riding work twice a week and I gave him some rides and it has continued and expanded,” said Stoute.
“He is a good rider and we like working with him. He is a talented rider who is very professional and very astute.”
‘Henry did a better job with Frankel’
While Kingscote will be having only his second Derby mount, Stoute is an old hand at the world’s premier Classic, which he captued for the first time with the great Shergar’s ten-length romp under a teenaged Walter Swinburn in 1981.
“Shergar did it in the mornings and the afternoons, that's for sure,” recalled the trainer. “Shahrastani was a very reliable work horse too but Shergar was a machine. But Henry (Cecil) did a better job with Frankel than I did with Shergar as I shouldn’t have run him in the St Leger!
“He was bombproof and had a wonderful temperament in addition to being a well-balanced medium-sized athlete,” Stoute went on.
“He was never a problem – he would just spin around every now and again. You remember the famous story when he spun around and got rid of his rider?
“In those days you could do all your work in the winter. We used to go into Moulton and up the hill to Warren Place and on his own – that was the route he went.
“He stopped and was picking one of the hedges outside of Warren Place so he obviously wanted to go in there! We were very lucky there was no long-term damage.”
Looking back at the fledgling stages of a long and storied career, Stoute recalled how he came to Britain in the first place from his native Barbados and started off working for three years for Malton-based Pat Rohan.
“I hadn’t been to Britain before going to Pat Rohan’s,” he said. “The West Indies had been federated and the chief justice of the federated West Indies came and retired in Barbados and he was an Irishman.
“My father met him one evening and they got chatting and he said, ‘I’ve got a horse-mad son’ – and he said he might be able to help.
“I was supposed to go to a job in Ireland which fell through and he, Sir Eric Hallinan, made the connection for me with Pat Rohan’s mother. I worked for Pat for three years and then I came to Newmarket I went to Doug Smith for two and a half years. I then went to Tom Jones where I had a year and a half.”
Stoute began to make his name with the exploits of a pair of star sprinter. “I rented Cadland Stables and I got 15 horses and in those days you had to have 12 to get a licence and it started from there,” he said.
“Alphadamus won the Stewards’ Cup in my second season (1973). Blue Cashmere won the Northumberland Sprint Trophy and the Ayr Gold Cup and the Trafalgar Handicap at Ascot the week after the Ayr Gold Cup. Those were the two that got me moving a bit – thank God I hit the ground running as you can get buried quickly.”
• Visit the Cazoo Derby page at the Epsom website
Living the dream with Oaks favourite Emily Upjohn – with a little help from Sir Henry Cecil
All the Queen’s horses: Her Majesty’s former racecourse stars set to parade in Derby Day tribute
Analysis: Baaeed looks brilliant – but is he the new Frankel?
Classic debut: Rogue Millennium set for £30,000 Oaks supplement for Tom Clover
New trainer Francis Graffard eyes Deauville for Verry Elleegant’s French debut
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires