Carlton House looks in royal shape
The Michael Stoute-trained colt has been the subject of much media frenzy, owing to the fact he is owned by the Queen.
The furore was only heightened by a superb display in the Dante Stakes at York on his seasonal return and he headed to the Epsom Derby as a hot favourite to give the Queen a first victory in the world’s most famous flat race.
The warning signs were out for his supporters when he suffered a setback in the week leading up to the race and the disappointment of defeat was soon to follow.
But he was far from disgraced in finishing third, beaten just a length by French ace Pour Moi, coming from some way back and losing a shoe inside the final furlong.
A trouble-free run since has prompted connections to let the son of Street Cry take his chance in the Irish equivalent, and racing manager John Warren is excited about seeing him in action again.
“It’s all very exciting and we’re thrilled that the horse has come out of Epsom extremely well,” said Warren.
The re-opposing Treasure Beach was narrowly ahead of Carlton House at Epsom, while Memphis Tennessee, Native Khan and Seville were all in attendance again.
Warren is looking forward to finding out which of the colts has progressed most.
“It should be a fascinating race,” he continued. “It will be interesting to see what these three-year-olds will do with themselves and it will interesting to see who has come out of Epsom best. It would be fair to say they are all on the cusp of making improvement.
“Most of them were unexposed horses going into the Derby and the margins have been close enough. With only eight runners, it should be a really true and fair race.
“I don’t think there are any concerns about the trip, the ground or the course. We are just hopeful that he’s progressed enough to find himself in front when it counts.”
