Desert Crown will stay in training in 2023 as connections of Saturday's Cazoo Derby winner outlined future plans involving the top prizes of Britain, France – and Dubai.
The Sir Michael Stoute-saddled colt gave the Freemason Lodge trainer his sixth triumph in the world's greatest race when beating 150-1 outsider Hoo Ya Mal by two and a half lengths under Richard Kingscote.
The victory came on Desert Crown's third racecourse appearance, and his Dubaian owner Saeed Suhail is already focusing on next year for the son of Nathaniel, according to his racing manager, Bruce Raymond.
"Something would have to go wrong for him to take him out of training," said Raymond.
"Saeed's plan – I'm not sure it would be Sir Michael's – would be to go to Dubai next spring."
Shorter term, the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park on July 2 or the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes three weeks later are next on Desert Crown's to-do list before a tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp in October.
"He's not in the Irish Derby, so the Eclipse and the King George are the obvious races for him," added Raymond.
"He's not an out-an-out galloper, so he could come back to 10 furlongs at Sandown.
"It seems a long way off, but then we would look towards the Arc at the end of the season.
"I was confident he was a good horse, but I didn't think he would win like that.
"Coming down to Tattenham Corner I thought, 'This is perfect - the horse is going so well."
Of winning jockey Richard Kingscote, Raymond said: "He was pretty humble and was saying that he'd done well to stay on the horse (keep the ride), but I don't think there was any ever question of him coming off it.
"I think he was very mature when he won at York, after the race everyone was very excited about him being a Derby horse and all he said to Michael was, 'I was very impressed with him in the last half-furlong, the way he picked up and got racing'.
"I thought that was a very mature thing to say for somebody who is 30-odd, he didn't get too excited about it, that was a good thing to say to Michael Stoute."
