Desert Crown (GB)

Shadwell's brilliant, undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was given a mark of 125 and now leads the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings. The bay made his 4-year-old debut in the G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. and ran out a 3 1/4-length victor. America's Life Is Good (Into Mischief) and crack sprinter Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) share second at 124, while Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) sits fourth just one point below. It is a four-way tie for fifth at 122, with Hong Kong wunderkind Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia...

There were stage-managed fireworks exploding from Epsom's stands minutes before the 243rd staging of the G1 Cazoo Derby In Memory of Lester Piggott, but the real pyrotechnics were provided on the grass by Saeed Suhail's superb Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Desert Berry {GB}, by Green Desert) as he proved a class apart in this special edition. Sent off the 5-2 favourite for a race which looked deep both numerically and in terms of talent and promise, the unbeaten TDN Rising Star marked the occasion with a performance to place alongside...

Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby is no ordinary Derby, being placed squarely in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and bearing the title "In Memory of Lester Piggott", so the onus is on the latest collection of elite middle-distance colts to rise to the occasion. Famed for his ability to pick and choose in his heyday, the question is what would the Longfellow have opted for in this line-up? Few would say anything other than the edition's pop idol Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), whose Dante win had all the purists pricking up...

With Roger Varian trainee Eydon (Ire) (Olden Times {GB}) scratched from Epsom's G1 Cazoo Derby on Wednesday afternoon, the remaining 17 contenders all stood their ground at Thursday morning's declaration stage. Sir Michael Stoute seeks a sixth Blue Riband with Saeed Suhail's undefeated G2 Dante S. winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and the TDN Rising Star will depart from the 12 box. Godolphin's supplementary entry Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) has been allocated stall five with stablemate Walk of Stars (GB) (Frankel {GB}) set to start from stall nine....

Saeed Suhail's 'TDN Rising Star' Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who won the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York on May 12, will continue his association with jockey Richard Kingscote in the G1 Cazoo Derby on June 4, according to trainer Sir Michael Stoute. A Nottingham maiden winner in November, the colt delivered a 3 1/4-length victory in the Dante and would become the sixth winner of the Blue Riband for the veteran trainer if he captured the 1 1/2-mile contest. "He has ridden him plenty of...

Saeed Suhail's Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) anchors the 21 colts remaining at this entry stage for the G1 Cazoo Derby on June 4. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt is a perfect two-for-two after winning the G2 Dante S. at York on May 12. He is joined by the Godolphin duo of Listed Blue Riband Trial winner Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the stakes-placed Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), both trained by Charlie Appleby. Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners have a quintet of colts still entered-Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo...

The G1 Cazoo Derby just got much more interesting after TDN Rising Star Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Desert Berry {GB}, by Green Desert) injected much-needed adrenaline into the mix by registering an impressive success in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York. Sir Michael Stoute may have tried to hide the light of Saeed Suhail's once-raced colt under a bushel, describing him as "workmanlike" at home, but the news about him had nevertheless spread like wildfire through Newmarket and now we know why. Impressive enough on his...

Saeed Suhail's hitherto untried 280,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 acquisition Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was let go at 11-1 for division one of Wednesday's MansionBet Bet £10 Get £20 EBF Maiden S. at Nottingham and, while still a diamond in the rough, came home stylishly to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status on debut. The eventual winner accepted a tow in third after breaking on the front end in an extended one-mile heat won in 2019 by MG1SW globetrotter Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and in 2018 by MG1SW speedster...