classic review
It is “rare to have brilliant, decisive winners of both the Epsom Derby and the Prix du Jockey-Club” Jocelyn de Moubray takes a view on the early season Classics
Crowning glory
W
E WILL NOT KNOW for sure for a couple of months, but it looks as though the 2022 Classic generation in Europe is an excellent one. It is rare to have brilliant, decisive winners of both the Derby at Epsom and the Prix du Jockey-Club at Chantilly in the same year. You have to go back to Golden Horn and New Bay in 2015 or Workforce and Lope De Vega in 2010 to find a pair of winners as impressive as Desert Crown and Vadeni were this year. Perhaps it was an advantage growing up as yearlings during the quiet COVID year of 2020 when there were no visitors to studs in Britain, Ireland and France, or inspections to worry about and be prepared for. And, as was also the case in 2010 and 2015, many of the other European Classics in 2022 look to have been well above average too, with the 2,000 Guineas winners Coroebus and Native Trial, the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs, as well as the first two in the Oaks, Tuesday and Emily Upjohn, all giving the impression of belonging to an exceptional generation. Desert Crown’s superiority in the Derby was obvious from start to finish. Not only did Saeed Suhail’s colt travel smoothly throughout the race, which is nearly always the case for Derby winners as those who don’t act on the course are usually beaten
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long before they reach the home straight. He was still going so easily as they passed the 3f marker and began the race to the winning post that his jockey Richard Kingscote had to restrain the son of Nathaniel, while all around were hard at work. Once Kingscote asked Desert Crown to go, the race was won and he quickened away from his rivals with the greatest of ease. There were some behind him who had
trouble getting a clear run, but Desert Crown was in a different class altogether from his rivals at Epsom and the only question was how far Kingscote would let him win by. The answer was two and a half lengths over the staying-on Hoo Ya Mal with the unlucky Westover a head behind in third and Masekela a further five and a half lengths away in fourth. This was only the third career start for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt. He won
