Favourite Carlton House declared for the Derby
THE QUEEN’S Carlton House is poised to run in tomorrow’s Investec Derby despite injury fears after being declared in a 13-strong field for the Epsom Classic.
Concerns were raised over the ante-post favourite’s participation earlier this week when swelling was found in his leg following a workout.
But the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt came through a canter yesterday under jockey Ryan Moore and showed no ill-effects when examined last night, Her Majesty’s racing manager John Warren saying he was “very much on target”.
Carlton House has been fancied to become the Queen’s first ever Derby winner since impressing in the Dante Stakes at York last month.
Stoute has an enviable pedigree in the mile-and-a-half race, having saddled the winner five times, including last year with Workforce.
However, Carlton House has been drawn in stall 13 on the outside of the field, while seven of the last 10 Derby winners have started in single-figure stalls.
His sternest challenges are tipped to come from the Andre Fabre-trained Pour Moi, drawn in stall seven, and the Aidan O’Brien-saddled Recital, in stall four.
Recital’s Ballydoyle stablemate Seville is also among the more fancied runners, as is the Ed Dunlop-trained Native Khan and Godolphin’s Ocean War.
There were four withdrawals: Casamento, Genius Beast and Roderic O’Connor, who are all set for Sunday’s French Derby, and Nathaniel.
The Queen has had nine previous Derby runners, with Aureole, who came second in 1953, the closest she has come to a win.
Her last entry in the race was 30 years ago, when Church Parade finished fifth behind Shergar.
The last winner of the world’s greatest flat race to be owned by a British monarch was King Edward VII’s Minoru, who triumphed in 1909.