Epsom Derby day review and replays

Reality strikes on Derby Day

Regal Reality (5/1) rolled back the years to win the Betfred Diomed Stakes on Derby Day at Epsom.

Marie's Diamond took the field along in the mile Group Three with Highland Avenue in close attendance and the pair tracked by the well-backed three-year-old Kolsai.

David Egan switched the latter off the inside on entering the straight and asked Kolsai to go in pursuit of the leading duo but his mount never really quickened as expected and they couldn't get past Highland Avenue despite getting on terms.

The 2/1 favourite Highland Avenue kept on well and re-asserted in that private battle close home but neither was a match for Regal Reality who was produced from off the pace by Ryan Moore and the eight-year-old responded willingly to record a sixth career success by three quarters of a length.

Winning part-owner and race sponsor Fred Done told Racing TV: "He (brother Peter, part-owner) phoned me straight away after the race and said 'bring the readies home for me'. A fabulous day for everybody.

"I don't know how much confidence was in him but Peter said to me before the race 'I think we have some sort of chance there' and I thought you're dreaming. This is your dream to be here on Derby Day and win and Peter is very, very happy about it.

"To me this (the Derby) is the greatest horse race in the world, the Epsom Derby is the best of the best and I'm so proud to be able to do this (sponsor the race). We're here today and I'm loving every second of it."

Regal Reality is trained by Sir Michael Stoute who said: “He’s a grand old horse. He wins one of these nice races every year, let’s hope he can win at least two this year.

“We’ve no plans, we’ll just have to ask him where he wants to go. We try to keep him happy at home as he’s very strong-minded.”

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Highland Avenue, said: “He has run another solid race and that is what he is like. Trip wise, we have come down in trip and as William (Buick) has just said there he is one of those horses that will be bang there in these sort of races. He would probably appreciate going back over 10 furlongs.

“He is a solid old horse. He does a lot of work at home at the moment. He has had an easier day here than he would have had galloping this morning. It would be nice to get another win in him as he has got an engine. When he won the Feilden we were getting excited at one stage with him. He might be one to travel with but we will see.”

Dettori prospers at Epsom

The race didn't go according to plan but Prosperous Voyage (6/4 favourite) still had enough class to win the Princess Elizabeth Stakes under Frankie Dettori.

Dettori was out of luck in the Derby about 4/1 favourite Arrest and it seemed as though his day was about to get worse when Prosperous Voyage was slowly into stride but the pair were able to pick their way through the field and she quickened impressively.

The first four were only separated by a couple of lengths at most but Prosperous Voyage, a Group One winner last season, was good value for more than the winning margin and banished memories of a disappointing seasonal reappearance.

Random Harvest was beaten under a length in second with Astral Beau and Shaara a nose and a head further back respectively.

"The last one (ride at Epsom on Derby day) and we won," a smiling Dettori said having kissed the turf in the winner's enclosure.

"She was a bit rusty in the spring and I thought this was a good opportunity. She anticipated the start, smacked her face on the stalls, got out and now I'm last and I thought 'oh God, plan B'. So I followed Ryan and sometimes things like that can happen and it's good, she's probably sick and tired of making the running so today she followed the others and it was a good thing.

"It shows she is very brave because she had to get herself a bit of room there. The plan was obviously the Duke of Cambridge so we wanted to get a race into her and try and give her some confidence so that's worked out and she'll go to Ascot with every chance."

Winning trainer Ralph Beckett added: “This will set her up nicely for the Duke Of Cambridge at Royal Ascot, and I’ve always felt she was better on a straight track. This is her first win for a while, so that’s great.

“She was always going to stay in training but there was no one big target. That was a good effort today. I think first time out she was just a bit lacklustre, and it was soft ground and nine furlongs. She needed it too, and she probably still needed it today. She’s a bit more matronly this year.”

Tatterstall takes Dash

The inaugural running of the Aston Martin 3YO "Dash" Handicap saw Michael Dods claim yet another valuable sprinting prize as Tatterstall (8/1) made the best of his way home against the stands' side rail.

Tatterstall jumped well to bag the prime position but Connor Beasley rode him with restraint and was fortunate that the front-runners didn't come across and take his ground. That allowed Tatterstall a clear run to the line and he picked up well to mow down Miss Brazen in the closing stages.

Dickieburd was third with Jm Jungle fourth and Democracy Dilemma fifth.

The Racing TV team, when reviewing the race in the immediate aftermath, felt there was a dangerous move from Marcus Ghiani aboard Tallulah Myla when taking a rival's ground in the early stages and the consensus was that he could be handed a lengthy ban.

He was suspended for six days following the inevitable enquiry.

The winning rider said: "Luckily enough he's shown today the quality that he's got and I had a lovely gate in stall 13 and bagged the stands' side rail which me and the boss discussed.

"At one stage I probably did get headed but at the same time he never gave up and if anything I was going away at the line; it was great to get that winner on the board.

"As all of our sprinters do they get better with age, and I always thought he would be a big Saturday horse and he's proved today that he is. He hasn't had that much running and I think he'll obviously improve for coming down there and hopefully he'll go on to bigger and better things now."

Dods was busy at home but was represented by his daughter Chloe, who was delighted. She said: “We thought he had a nice chance. He hung when winning on his first run at Wolverhampton, and then at York he was only beaten about two and three-quarter lengths.

“This was the obvious race to come for, and he likes the ground. Connor said he got headed, but he battled back.”

Torito hits Epsom heights

The Betfred Lester Piggott Handicap is a traditionally strong contest and often a good pointer to the rest of the season and the 2023 renewal looked well up to scratch but Torito demolished his rivals.

Sent off at 4/1, Torito was settled in midfield by Benoit De La Sayette and moved easily for his jockey at every stage of the race. Asked to pick up approaching the two furlong marker, he took a little time to find his stride but once he met the rising ground he powered clear to win in the style of a colt that is well ahead of his mark.

Silver Sword ran a gallant race in second despite running around on the famous cambers. Balance Play ultimately finished well, taking third ahead of Maasai Mara.

John Gosden, part of the winning training partnership, said: "He got the perfect Lester Piggott ride which is the way you like to ride Epsom, sitting fourth, fifth with one horse inside and options to move when you want.

"He's (de la Sayette) a very talented young man, he's been a pleasure to work with and overcame early adversity in his life and is stronger and wiser for it; he rides extremely well and I wanted to bring him here today and he's not claiming any allowance anymore. he's got a lot of talent and a lot of good trainers give him backing. It's very difficult for these apprentices, when they lose their allowance they can fall off a cliff and he deserves a lot better than that.

"It's important for him to be here and I'm very keen that he learns, he's still young, and any opportunity you can give young riders is good and there are a lot of other fine young riders around too."

The Golden Gate Handicap at Royal Ascot could now be on the agenda for Torito with Gosden adding: "I'd like to (go to Royal Ascot), he'll probably get bumped a few pounds and that was a nice race in its own right. I think a mile and a quarter is his trip, the other horse (Maasai Mara) we ran needs a little further."

Sheer joy for Davies

Harry Davies enjoyed a winner on a big day when Sheer Rocks (11/2) followed up victory at Ascot to overhaul the front-running Caius Chorister in the Rio Ferdinand Foundation Northern Dancer Handicap.

Ryan Moore got an uncontested lead aboard favourite Caius Chorister but Davies always had the leader in his sights and Sheer Rocks readily picked off his rival when asked to go and win his race and provide Eve Johnson Houghton with a second winner at the Epsom Derby Festival.

Lucander was the only other runner to have a say in the finish but his run rather flattened out as he finished a close third.

"I thought he's gone too soon," said a delighted Johnson Houghton. "And then I was watching it and I thought well there's nothing else coming so I think we're alright.

"This horse has just matured through the winter and thrived so I am thrilled for his owners. I just think he's a nice horse, he's very well balanced. Last year he went a bit weak and dangly on me and I probably just tried to do too much because he'd won twice and I thought he's a really good horse.

"He probably is a good horse but they pay for it sometime from two to three and he could be quite nice. The whole point of running him was in the hope that he would get high enough in the handicap to get to Royal Ascot so I imagine we'll be going there. Probably the Duke of Edinburgh, he travels really well and is unbelievably versatile.

"It's been a good 48 hours!"

Badri gets by with a little help from his friends

A strong pace in the JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap proved perfect for the held-up Badri (10/1) who came from last to first down the outside to provide Hollie Doyle with a winner

Trained by the in-form Ruth Carr, Badri has been running better than ever at the age of six and just got the better of Apollo One to win for the fourth time this year.

Mr Wagyu could only finish third in his attempt to win the six furlong handicap for the second successive year but his run could possibly be upgraded as he was in the vanguard throughout. Similar comments apply to the previously progressive Haymaker although he raced a little further back in the field.

"We were thinking he was just an all-weather horse," said Carr. "Then we ran him at Beverley for the stiff five because the stiff five was suiting him at Newcastle and obviously he romped home there, then he wasn't disgraced at York in a really hot sprint and Hollie's nearly nursed him down the hill a little bit.

"He didn't look entirely comfortable on the track but he was doing some great work at the end and they've gone hard up front so it suited him.

"He goes out in the field with his 14 mates every day which is a little bit nerve wracking when you've got a big race, for us, pencilled in but you can't not do that because that's how you've got him to where he is, from enjoying himself going out with his mates.

"Every day he has come in this week and he hasn't got a big bite mark on his backside or something has been a real relief! Just to get him here in good form, Hollie has given him a lovely ride and everything has fallen into place for him."

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