My Favourite Derby: Mike Vince looks back on a memorable Epsom moment

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The next time the great Dermot Weld brings a challenger for the Investec Derby to Epsom he would expect me to ask him how he enjoyed his lunch - and he would be chuckling in his reply.

For the story of the master trainer foregoing his eagerly-anticipated lunch is one of many that sticks in the memory of Harzand’s remarkable romp to glory in 2016.

He’d gone straight onto my shortlist at the start of the season. No ordinary horse wins a Cork maiden ahead of an Aidan O’Brien stable inmate (Soviet Fighter, who went on to win the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot) by 16 lengths, and when he next time out squelched to victory in the Ballysax Stakes at a very wet Leopardstown, reality dawned that the team at Rosewell House had a huge chance of claiming the one Holy Grail that had eluded them - Epsom and the Derby.

But it very nearly never happened for Harzand, the Aga Khan, the Welds, and Pat Smullen, who was eventually to enjoy his finest hour in the saddle.

It was a few hours before racing it became clear all was not well.

Harzand had dislodged a shoe while travelling over - he had to spend some hours with the foot in an ice bucket, and it was poultice, but it was still not looking good. Then to the rescue came Jim Bolger’s vet, Jim Reilly, who put the shoe back on and it went back into the ice bucket. While the great and the good enjoyed their lunch, Weld could only wait and hope.

The decision to run came late, but what followed meant the need to forego the eagerly anticipated meal was totally forgotten. As Port Douglas cut out the running Smullen sat in mid division, moved up when Idaho, who he had seen off in the Ballysax went for home, took it up seemingly full of running just over a furlong out and held off the late charge from US Army Ranger.

Alongside triumphs in North America and Australia, Weld now had the cherished ‘Derby-winning trainer’ on his CV and Harzand went on to land the Irish equivalent three weeks later - his stable being literally across the road from The Curragh.

"I have every intention of enjoying the day" Dermot Weld had told me in a radio interview the day before the big race.

Lunch may have been off, but my goodness Harzand served up some dessert.

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