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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Tony Paley and Greg Wood (at Epsom)

The Derby 2022: Desert Crown dominates to take Classic glory – as it happened

Derby (Event) Epsom Classic Derby Day
Desert Crown and Richard Kingscote are lead back into the winner’s enclosure.
Desert Crown and Richard Kingscote are lead back into the winner’s enclosure. Photograph: John Walton/PA

That's all folks for another year at Epsom

It seems appropriate given this Derby was run in the memory of Lester Piggott, who sadly left us at the start of the week, that we got a very classy winner of the race this time around. Desert Crown won in a fashion that was every bit as impressive as any Derby winner of recent years.

It was also appropriate that the winner is in the hands of perhaps the finest living trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, who was celebrating his sixth win in this great race. Now we know that Stoute improves his horses as they mature but the word is that Desert Crown is only going to come into his own as a four or five-year-old! It is going to be some treat to follow this brilliant Derby winner’s career no matter how long we get to see him.

Intriguingly, Stoute also has the very exciting older horse Bay Bridge in his yard. As is his want the trainer didn’t give away plans for Desert Crown afterwards today but I wonder if we will see Bay Bridge in the King George at Ascot and Desert Crown in the Irish Derby. The other obvious option for today’s winner would be the Eclipse at Sandown.

Whatever, there’s plenty to look forward to and I hope you’ll join me for the live blog at Royal Ascot. Good luck in the meantime.

Jockey Richard Kingscote with Desert Crown after victory in the Derby.
Jockey Richard Kingscote with Desert Crown after victory in the Derby. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm) result

1 Mr Wagyu (Jason Hart) 12-1
2 Full Authority (Hollie Doyle) 14-1
3 Spirited Guest (J F Egan) 33-1
14 ran
Also: 10-3 Fav Many A Star, 16-1 Alligator Alley 4th
Non Runner: 9

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm)

They’re off ... Night On Earth leads the way ... Musicka close up ... Mr Wagyu looks just to have got it close home from Full Authority... photo finish! Mr Wagyu does hold on for the final race of the Derby meeting.

Updated

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm) betting

  • Many A Star 9/2
  • Commache Falls 11/2
  • Regional 9/1
  • Nelson Gay 9/1
  • Bergerac 11/1
  • Mr Wagyu 11/1
  • Muscika 12/1
  • Punchbowl Flyer 14/1
  • Full Authority 14/1
  • Full Oddschecker betting here
A jockey makes his way back in after the Northern Dancer Handicap at Epsom.
A jockey makes his way back in after the Northern Dancer Handicap at Epsom. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Updated

Tokyo Trophy Handicap (5.50pm) preview

A tricky little six-furlong handicap to round off the Derby Festival, and Commanche Falls, last year’s Stewards’ Cup winner, could be the answer after an excellent return to action at Doncaster in April. Michael Dods’s gelding is set to carry top weight but has actually been dropped a couple of pounds since finishing seventh of 24 runners off 105 in last September’s Ayr Gold Cup and looks set for another productive season.

Racegoers wearing outfits featuring Union Jack flags on Derby Day at Epsom.
Racegoers wearing outfits featuring Union Jack flags on Derby Day at Epsom. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Updated

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) result

1 Midnights Legacy (W Buick) 3-1 Fav
2 Haliphon (R Ffrench) 25-1
3 Soapy Stevens (F Norton) 13-2
11 ran
Also: 15-2 Boss Power 4th
Non Runner: 5

Midnights Legacy ridden by jockey William Buick (in green and yellow) wins the World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap at Epsom.
Midnights Legacy ridden by jockey William Buick (in green and yellow) wins the World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap at Epsom. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Updated

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm)

They’re off ... Aaddeey was very slowly away ... Winter Reprise and Arenas Del Tiempo are disputing the lead early ... Restorer and Soapy Stevens are close to the leaders ... Mascat is in with a chance ... Midnights Legacy and Haliphon have gone past together at the end of a race over the Derby distance... reminiscent of Roberto and Rheingold! ... photo finish! photo finish! ... Midnights Legacy got back up to win having been headed in the closing stages!

Updated

What an impressive win from Desert crown in the Derby. You can read all about it here and watch it below

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) betting

  • Midnight’s Legacy 9/2f
  • Solent Getaway 5/1
  • Mascat 6/1
  • Soapy Stevens 8/1
  • Boss Power 8/1
  • Winter Reprise 9/1
  • Aaddeey 10/1
  • State Of Bliss 14/1
  • Haliphon 16/1
  • Arenas Del Tiempo 22/1
  • Restorer 33/1
  • Full Oddschecker betting here

Northern Dancer Handicap (5.15pm) preview

Boss Power is still lightly-raced for a five-year-old and Sir Michael Stoute is just the trainer to get the best out of his this year. He did not have much luck in running at Ascot last time and has a fair chance to make amends from a 1lb lower mark.

The Derby (4.30pm) result

1 Desert Crown (R Kingscote) 5-2 Fav
2 Hoo Ya Mal (David Probert) 150-1
3 Westover (Rob Hornby) 25-1
17 ran
Also: 66-1 Masekela 4th

The Derby (4.30pm) … Desert Crown dominates to win

They’re off ... Nahanni missed the break and Desert Crown was out smartly ... Changingoftheguard is out in the lead with El Habeeb right at the back ...West Wind Blows is in second in the early stages ... Stone Age is very prominent ... here we go into the home turn ... Desert Crown travels very well ... and he goes into the lead and sprints away ... we’ve got a serious horse on our hands here.

Updated

Fireworks while horses are not far away probably wasn’t the best idea.

Fireworks on Derby Day at Epsom.
Fireworks on Derby Day at Epsom. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Updated

The protestors were on the track causing the delay.

For those wondering why we are waiting, as Desert Crown goes out to 11-4 and Walk Of Stars is the best-backed of the outsiders from 20s to 11-1.

Desert Crown, Nations Pride, Westover and Piz Badile, for whom there has been a bit of late money took the preliminaries noticeably well if that’s of any use this late in the day.

Well, I’m allowed to have a moan aren’t I

The jockeys are ready ahead of the biggest Flat race of the year

Here’s the latest from the paddock ahead of the Derby. The favourite Desert Crown is reportedly very relaxed and there are no negatives concerning the Aidan O’Brien-trained trio of Changingoftheguard, Star Of India and Stone Age either. Grand Alliance is getting very warm as is the rank outsider El Habeeb.

Great story, via the Press Association report, in the Epsom Dash. The brilliant trainer David “Dandy” Nicholls died five years ago to the day. He won five renewals of the five-furlong race and son Adrian @Trotternicholls saddled Tees Spirit to win this time under a superb ride from Barry McHugh. Lovely interview after the event here:

Updated

Here’s the dramatic start to the Epsom Dash sprint!

Some aren’t happy with the starts today, not surprisingly. Let’s hope the Derby is incident free ...

The Derby (4.30pm) betting

  • Desert Crown 5/2f
  • Stone Age 4/1
  • Nations Pride 13/2
  • Changingoftheguard 10/1
  • Piz Badile 11/1
  • Star Of India 14/1
  • Walk Of Stars 20/1
  • Nahanni 25/1
  • Westover 30/1
  • Full betting at Oddschecker

The Derby (4.30pm) preview

The original Derby and still very much the best (though I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from putting the Kentucky Derby on their bucket list) and as is so often the case, it is surely a lot more open than the betting might suggest. Unlike the Grand National, the other big Saturday showpiece that grabs the nation’s attention, the Derby is not a handicap, but it comes with its own set of problems for punters as so many of the horses are lightly-raced and open to a great deal of improvement, not least as many are stepping up to this 12-furlong trip for the first time.

Consider, for instance, a horse like West Wind Blows, unbeaten in two starts – just like the 9-4 favourite, Desert Crown – but priced up at 40-1 as he has yet to race outside novice company. He went very hard early on at Nottingham last time but still kept on really well in the closing stages to win by five lengths, and stopped the clock in a useful time. His timefigure was almost identical to those recorded by several opponents in recognised trials (Star Of India and Nations Pride among them) but it will still be seen as a big shock if Simon and Ed Crisford’s colt prevails this afternoon.

Desert Crown and Stone Age were both convincing winners of their respective trials but there is little value left in either colt’s price, and while I thought long and hard about tipping West Wind Blows (and think he’s definitely worth a small each-way interest), in the end it came down to a choice between Changingoftheguard – whose Chester Vase win was the best individual trial on the clock – and lightly-raced Piz Badile, the mount of Frankie Dettori. He has a similar profile to Harzand, the Derby winner in 2016, in that he has not been out since winning the Ballysax Stakes in April, and showed plenty of grit to fight his way back into the lead at Leopardstown after being headed well inside the final furlong. Donnacha O’Brien had the option of running him in the main Irish trial a few weeks later but opted to freshen him up before Epsom instead and with Dettori have plumped for Piz Badile in mid-May, odds around 12-1 look more than fair.

A racegoer dressed as the Queen at the Derby.
A racegoer dressed as the Queen at the Derby. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Epsom Dash (3.45pm) result

1 Tees Spirit (Barry McHugh) 10-1
2 Mountain Peak (Tom Marquand) 50-1
3 Equality (Jack Mitchell) 14-1
4 Mokaatil (Harry Davies) 14-1
20 ran
Also: 6-1 Fav Live In The Dream

Epsom Dash (3.45pm)

They’re off ... Justanotherbottle has reared and has no chance ... Live In The Dream is up there ... Mountain Peak is handy ... Mountain Peak into the closing stages against Tees Spirit, who looks to have got up.

Updated

Here’s all the news from the stewards’ inquiry after the first race, including the fact that the starter was put off by the helicopter flying overhead, from Lydia Hislop at Racing UK.

Updated

Epsom Dash (3.45pm) betting

  • Live In The Dream 15/2
  • Stone Of Destiny 8/1
  • Dusky Lord 9/1
  • Mokaatil 10/1
  • Fine Wine 10/1
  • Tees Spirit 11/1
  • Justanotherbottle 12/1
  • Sunday Sovereign 14/1
  • Mid Winster 16/1
  • King Of Stars 16/1
  • Equality 18/1
  • Tone The Barone 20/1
  • Full betting here on Oddschecker
Racegoers enjoy Derby Day at Epsom.
Racegoers enjoy Derby Day at Epsom. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Updated

Epsom Dash (3.45pm) preview

If, like me, you are a bit of a sucker for sprint handicaps, this traditional prequel to the Derby is one of the highlights of the season: a mad dash down the fastest five-furlong course on the planet which, even on today’s easier surface, will be done and dusted in less than 60 seconds. Stone Of Folca’s winning time of 53.69sec in 2012 is officially recognised as the five-furlong world record (though pedants may point out that Indigenous covered it in 53.60sec in June 1960, a mark that is not entirely reliable as the race was timed by hand). Just one favourite has won in the last 18 years and a whole host of hard-luck stories are all but guaranteed, but finding the right one is, in its way, every bit as rewarding as picking the Derby winner himself.

As ever, an apparently persuasive case can be made for most of the 20-strong field, and Tees Spirit, Fine Wine and Live In The Dream are among those that made it onto the shortlist. In the end, though, I’ve thrown my lot in with Paul Midgley’s mare Mid Winster, who arrives in excellent form have produced a career-best performance to win in a strong time at Catterick seven days ago. Her trainer is a real sprint-specialist, has landed two of the last seven runnings of this race and a 5lb rise in the weights looks very fair given that she won with something in hand last weekend.

A racegoer is seen during the races at Epsom.
A racegoer is seen during the races at Epsom. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

Diomed Stakes (3.10pm) result

1 Megallan (L Dettori) 9-2
2 Modern News (W Buick) 3-1
3 Mutasaabeq (Jim Crowley) 11-8 Fav
6 ran

Frankie Dettori rides Megallan to victory at Epsom.
Frankie Dettori rides Megallan to victory at Epsom. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Diomed Stakes (3.10pm)

And they’re off ... Megallan leads from Zakouski ... and they are clear in the early stages ... Modern News with Buick up is in third ... Megallan goes for home ... Zakouski fights hard but here is Modern News but Megallan holds off his opponents under an excellent front-running ride from Frankie Dettori.

Updated

Andrea Atzeni will ride Masekela in the Derby at Epsom after Jason Watson suffered a suspected broken collarbone in an incident at Doncaster on Friday.

“It’s a shame for Jason because of what happened yesterday and I’ve not heard how he is,” Atzeni told the Racing Post. “I wasn’t sure until I got to the track but it’s always nice to pick up a ride in the Derby.”

Updated

Diomed Stakes (3.10pm) betting

Diomed Stakes (3.10pm) preview

Just half a dozen runners for this Group Three but Escobar, the outsider of the field, is no bigger than 16-1 and all six go to post with a live chance if things fall their way. The market is currently struggling to separate Modern News and Mutasaabeq, who might well have won a Group Two at Sandown last time had a gap arrived in time, while Magella and Zakouski, both previous winners at Group level, are also very much in the mix. Modern News, though, is the one on an upward curve, having won a strong Newbury handicap off 105 in April before running away with a Listed event at Windsor last time out. He posted a strong time in both races and is a decent bet to take this step up to Group Three company in his stride.

Racegoers wearing Union Flag hats look on as the front-runners in the Cazoo Handicap approach the finish line at Epsom.
Racegoers wearing Union Flag hats look on as the front-runners in the Cazoo Handicap approach the finish line at Epsom. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Updated

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2.35pm) result

1 Bashkirova (Tom Marquand) 2-1 Fav
2 Potapova (R L Moore) 11-2
3 Roman Mist (R Kingscote) 12-1
10 ran
Also: 22-1 Statement 4th

Tom Marquand rides Bashkirova to victory in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom.
Tom Marquand rides Bashkirova to victory in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2.35pm)

And they’re off ... Potopova and Rolling The Dice a little slow ... with Flash Betty and Miss Marble up at the front ... Roman Mist is in third ... turning for home and they have gone down the centre ... Bashkirova has got the better of the fast-finishing Potapova with Roman Mist third.

Updated

William Buick, who my colleague Greg Wood at Epsom tells me has been cleared to ride for the rest of the day, has reported that he was hit on the top of the head before the first race as was clear from the footage. He told the starter and so did other jockeys to delay the start while he was ready and he has said “it was a very bad mistake” [on behalf of the starter] to let the race go ahead.

Updated

Lot of concern for William Buick. His horse in the first (Blue Trail) has been deemed a non-runner so no one will lose their money but the jockey is likely to have to pass the doctor to ride Nations Pride in the Derby given his past issues with concussion.

Updated

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2.35pm) betting

  • Bashkirova 3/1f
  • Mrs Fitzherbert 7/2
  • Potapova 9/2
  • Majestic Glory 15/2
  • Technique 8/1
  • Miss Marble 12/1
  • Roman Mist 16/1
  • Statement 22/1
  • Flash Betty 50/1
  • Rolling The Dice 100/1
  • Full betting at Oddschecker

Princess Elizabeth Stakes (2.35pm) preview

Bashkirova, from the in-form William Haggas stable, was the early favourite for this race yesterday, which seemed a little odd as she did not look to have any excuses for her half-length defeat by Mrs Fitzherbert in a Listed race at Goodwood in April. In fact, Hughie Morrison’s filly was caught in a pocket around a quarter of a mile out and George Rooke had to sit and wait before switching around runners to launch his challenge, so she did really well in the circumstances to run down Bashkirova in the final strides. The market has since adjusted and Mrs Fitzherbert (100-30) is a marginal favourite, but that still looks a decent price for a four-year-old filly with plenty of scope for progress. Potapova, a lightly-raced four-year-old from the Sir Michael Stoute stable, is another interesting runner, while at the bigger prices, Technique looked to have a decent performance in her several times last year and could realise her potential in her four-year-old season.

Jockeys Ryan Moore (left) and Frankie Dettori walk the course on Derby Day.
Jockeys Ryan Moore (left) and Frankie Dettori walk the course on Derby Day. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Updated

So the stalls camera footage for the first race has been revealed and William Buick was clearly hit in the face by the Approachability, the horse in the adjacent stall, and wasn’t ready to ride. Jason Hart on that runner was clearly trying to call for a delay but the starter let them go.

Updated

There is a stewards’ inquiry after the opening race at Epsom and there will be plenty to talk about after that event. There was a shambolic start with William Buick clearly not ready to go on the well-fancied Blue Trail when the starter let them go. The race was late off (and the Racing TV channel presenters are clearly annoyed with al, the racing around Britain and Ireland) and now there’s a stewards’ inquiry. We’ll keep you up to speed here with any more news.

Runners and riders in then opening race at Epsom.
Runners and riders in then opening race at Epsom. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA

Cazoo Handicap (2pm) result

1 Swilcan Bridge (Hayley Turner) 7-1
2 Grenoble (Tom Marquand) 25-1
3 War Horse (Andrea Atzeni) 15-2
14 ran
Also: 4-1 Jt Favs Blue Trail, Mr Big Stuff, 22-1 Oh Herberts Reign 4th
Non Runner: 11

Cazoo Handicap (2pm)

War Horse is getting worked up in the preliminaries here ... and they’re off ... and Blue Trail has been left at the start ... controversial as the jockey William Buick didn’t look ready to go ... Oh Herberts Reign leads ... with the loose horse running free ahead of the field ... Swilcan Bridge is prominent ... Oh Herberts Reign and Swilcan Bridge with Grenoble finishing fast late on ... but Grenoble was a little hampered by the loose horse near the line ... a dramatic opener with Swilcan Bridge getting home on the line.

Updated

In the old days it was always Joan Collins and George Hamilton at the Derby, now it’s a a parade of the not-so-glamorous ...

Matt Le Tissier at the Derby.
Matt Le Tissier at the Derby. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Cazoo Handicap (2.00pm) betting

  • Mr Big Stuff 9/2f
  • Blue Trail 5/1
  • Nolton Cross 5/1
  • War Horse 15/2
  • Box To Box 10/1
  • Swilcan Bridge 12/1
  • Approachability 12/1
  • Oh Herberts Reign 16/1
  • Taj Alola 18/1
  • Sweeping 20/1
  • Oneforthegutter 25/1
  • Grenoble 28/1
  • Sharp Combo 33/1
  • Hul Ah Bah Loo 100/1
  • Full betting here at Oddschecker
A eracegoer studies the form on Derby Day at Epsom.
A eracegoer studies the form on Derby Day at Epsom. Photograph: John Walton/PA

Cazoo Handicap (2.00pm) preview

Several of these three-year-olds remain open to considerable improvement as their careers develop and this is not a race for punters to wade into head down when there is plenty more to look forward to on the card. That said, Mr Big Stuff has already shown improved form on both his starts this year, having stepped up to this 10-furlong trip for the first time on his seasonal debut at Nottingham in April. He had no luck at all in running at Newbury last time in what may well prove to be a very useful race of its type and while he is up 1lb in the weights today, useful apprentice Tyler Heard is well worth his 5lb claim.

Jean Knight sings Mr Big Stuff.

The Platinum Jubilee has been a celebration of the monarch but has also marked the end of an era and that will be keenly felt at the Derby today with the Queen’s absence. She’s represented today by her daughter Anne, the Princess Royal, who has just arrived.

It must be highly likely the Queen will also be absent from Royal Ascot this month now and a release from the BestofBets.com site caught my eye this morning. A spokesperson said: “One of the most popular markets at Ascot is the colour of hat the Queen wears each day of the meeting. Anne is not favourite to be the next royal to be at the centre of that fun betting heat. We asked a leading bookmaker for the odds on who will be the next member of the royal family to take on the “hat bets” mantle and they went: 1-4 Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 2-1 Anne, Princess Royal, 6-1 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, 12-1 Zara Phillips and 18-1 Sophie, Duchess of Wessex.”

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is pictured during the Derby meeting at Epsom.
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, is pictured during the Derby meeting at Epsom. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The official details are in and the course is set fair now there’e no more rain expected at Epsom. Following around 3mm of rain this morning, the going for Derby Day is now:

Sprint Course ( for the 3.45pm race): Good

Derby Course: Good, Good to Soft in places

Andrew Cooper, clerk of the course, said: “The Derby strip [on the inside of the course] is Good, Good to Soft in places, and the straight course is Good. We’ve had only around 3mm of rain this morning, and I think it has cleared now, or at least certainly for the foreseeable, which is what we were expecting. The GoingStick reading on the Derby strip is 7.4, and that compares to 7.1 on the Oaks strip at the same time yesterday, so it’s a little quicker.”

Gentlemen wearing morning suits on the grandstand lawn at Epsom.
Gentlemen wearing morning suits on the grandstand lawn at Epsom. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

NON-RUNNERS

2.00pm Cazoo Handicap
11 Stevenson (Self Certificate, Not Eaten Up)

5.15pm World Pool Northern Dancer Handicap
5 Farhan (IRE) (Vet’s Certificate, Bad Scope)

5.50pm JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap
9 Premier Power (Self Certificate, Infection)


Current and former jockeys who have ridden for the Queen wear her silks at Epsom.
Current and former jockeys who have ridden for the Queen wear her silks at Epsom. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Don’t have these in your bets today. These are the latest list of non-runners at Epsom.

2.00
11 Stevenson

5.50
9 Premier Power

Racegoers prepare for the day’s events on an open-topped bus at Epsom.
Racegoers prepare for the day’s events on an open-topped bus at Epsom. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Updated

Expect official confirmation soon but the sun is coming through now and the going at Epsom has changed back to good, good to soft in places after the morning showers ...

Jason Watson will not be riding Masekela in the Derby having picked up an injury at Doncaster on Friday evening. Masekela’s trainer Andrew Balding told the Racing Post: “I gather Jason has broken his collarbone. Masekela will most likely be ridden by Andrea Atzeni.”

Preamble

Good morning from a somewhat damp Epsom Downs racecourse in Surrey, where the track has been getting a bit of a drenching this morning before the Derby, the most famous Classic of them all, at 4.30pm BST this afternoon.

The Queen will unfortunately not be in attendance, as was the original intention when Derby day was chosen to form part of the official jubilee celebrations, but many tens of thousands of her subjects will, to see the first Derby since 2019 with a full crowd in the stands and packed on to the Downs.

There were screens around the track two years ago, when it was run in July and behind closed doors, while just 3,804 paying punters were here in 2021 as Adayar gave Charlie Appleby his second Derby victory.

Several big meetings in the early part of the season, including the May Festival at Chester last month, failed to pull in the fans at pre-pandemic levels, so it will be interesting to see if today’s official crowd matches the 38,044 who turned up three years ago.

Fans with actual tickets, of course, are only part of the story on Derby day, as the race is staged on public land and entrance to the Hill enclosure is, by long-standing tradition, free.

The annual estimate is generally that up to 100,000 people turn up to take advantage, though a wet start to the day may persuade some to follow the Queen’s lead and watch from the sofa instead. It might have been different had she had a runner in the Classic – an estimated 750,000 were at Epsom in 1979 when her colt Milford was in the field – but that possibility finally evaporated a few weeks ago when Reach For The Moon was scratched.

Day-trippers and professionals alike will be looking nervously skywards as the hours and minutes tick away until 4.30pm. It was actually dry overnight at Epsom, with the ground quickening to good at around 8am before the heavens opened and dumped around 3mm on the course over the next couple of hours.

“To all intents and purposes we were dry overnight,” Andrew Cooper, the clerk of the course, told Racing TV just after 10am. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be bringing this back to good, good-to-soft in places as the going description. It produced a Going Stick reading just now of 7.4, and this time yesterday it was 7.1, so it had dried. This rain will be starting to have an effect and bringing us back to where we were yesterday.”

Desert Crown, the favourite, is one of many runners in the 17-strong field that will be stepping up to 12 furlongs for the first time today, and the possibility of softening ground may put at least a faint question mark against him in some punters’ minds.

The fact he is trained by 76-year-old Sir Michael Stoute would make him a hugely popular winner, but he is out to 9-4 in the market this morning as money arrives for Appleby’s Nations Pride, the mount of William Buick, who is in to around 6-1 third-favourite from 15-2 overnight. Changingoftheguard, who proved that he gets every yard of the trip in a well-run Chester Vase, could also be popular if the rain continues.

Some thoughts about the big race and the rest of the ITV card are here, and you can follow all the action – equine and meteorological – here on our live blog as one of the most popular and cherished afternoons in sport unfolds. Happy Derby Day!

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