A royal triumph in the Derby is now a distinct possibility after the Queen’s Carlton House ran out an impressive winner of the Dante Stakes at York.
Her Majesty has not had a runner in the Derby since Church Parade finished fifth to Shergar in 1981.
The Dante has a fantastic record for producing winners of the blue riband event at Epsom including last year’s winner Workforce.
Sir Michael Stoute trains Workforce and has always held Carlton House in the highest regard, immediately telling Her Majesty’s racing manager John Warren a Derby trial was on the agenda after he won a Newbury maiden by nine lengths last October.
Carlton House had an interrupted preparation because of the unusually dry spring and a foot problem but was still towards the head of the betting for the premier Classic leading up to the Dante.
With Henry Cecil’s highly-touted World Domination and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Seville, second in a Group One last season, in the line-up, it was certainly a trial of the highest calibre.
Unfortunately, the early pace set by Hughie Morrison’s Pisco Sour was pedestrian, which rendered the first half of the race irrelevant.
Carlton House (11-4) was a little reluctant to go into the stalls beforehand and then sweated up a bit, which perhaps led to him racing fairly keenly throughout the race.
Seville tracked Pisco Sour to the two-furlong (400m) pole when distress signals were being sent out by Tom Queally on World Domination.
Ryan Moore could be spotted travelling well on the winner but appeared to have nowhere to go.
But for one with so little experience he showed a great attitude to squeeze through the smallest of gaps between Seville and Pisco Sour to go away and win impressively by a length and a half.
“I’m very pleased with him. We thought it could be a messy race, and it certainly turned out to be that,” Stoute said.
“He learned a bit and I was delighted.”
Warren said he talked to the Queen throughout the race.
“I talked to Her Majesty through the race as she was watching on TV and she was concerned about the lack of pace but when he went through the gap she let out a yelp!” he said.
“The Queen will be at Epsom and this will mean a lot to her.
“It is fantastic for racing and if she can help the industry, all the better.”
Dante sponsors totesport make Carlton House their new 2-1 Derby favourite (from 4s), with Seville unchanged at 6-1, the same price as stablemate Recital, the Derrinstown Trial winner.
PA AAP TURF
