Wings Of Desire flies into Derby picture

John Gosden could not hide his excitement after the “freakish” Wings Of Desire shot to Investec Derby prominence with victory in the Betfred Dante Stakes at York yesterday.

It is less than a month since the imposing son of Pivotal took his first steps on the racecourse at Newmarket and while there was clear promise in his performance in finishing third, even a trainer with Gosden’s experience appeared to be blown away by the subsequent rapid progress.

His second start yielded a comprehensive and predictable victory at Wolverhampton and while he faced a far sterner test in what is widely regarded as Britain’s leading trial for next month’s Epsom Classic, the booking of Frankie Dettori suggested connections meant business.