Richard Kingscote reflects on a brilliant Derby performance from the Sir Michael Stoute-trained favourite Desert Crown, who scored by 2½ lengths to win the world's senior Classic at Epsom
Richard Ki
ngscote drew plaudits for his accomplished display on impressive Cazoo Derby winner Desert Crown, who provided a sixth victory in the Epsom Classic for trainer Sir Michael Stoute on Saturday [June 4].
Much respected by his peers, 35-year-old Kingscote has ridden well over 1,300 winners in Britain alone, where he had a long spell as Tom Dascombe’s stable jockey before heading to Newmarket and a burgeoning association with Stoute.
However, only rarely has he found himself in the big-race glare during a solid rather than spectacular career in which highlights include the Irish St Leger success of multiple Group winner Brown Panther.
A popular figure well known for his fondness for motorbikes and tattoos, Kingscote has won six races at Royal Ascot – but the Derby was his first G1 success in Britain and only his third overall. Here, in his own words, he describes how he partnered owner Saeed Suhail's son of Nathaniel to score by 2½ lengths eased down on only his second Derby ride.
I think it took a lot of guts from Sir Michael and the owner to maybe stick with me in a Derby, so I am very grateful to them for supporting me and letting me ride a very good horse.
I am not a champion jockey, I’m not Ryan Moore. I’ve had a good career but I’ve not had a starlit career. I think it takes a lot of support for them not to look elsewhere. It is quite surreal – as a jockey maybe you don’t see yourself amongst jockeys like that, and it's only through support of other people that we are able to do it. Honestly, when I was a kid I was useless but I’ve had a lot of support and Desert Crown is a fabulous horse.
Before York I didn’t know what to expect. Once I rode him at York I thought, he’s good enough – and I didn’t really want to believe it just in case but he’s clearly got a huge amount of class and he gave me a lot of confidence.
After York I’d been really quite confident but having not ridden a Derby winner before I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I tried not to think about being here but obviously you do.
He really was very good today, very smooth, and for a horse who has only run twice, he was very professional. He took all the preliminaries beautifully and I was really pleased with him. Every time I’ve sat on him he’s been very calm, and today was no exception. I couldn’t fault him. He went to the start and then fireworks went off, and he was a lovely ride.
He jumped really well – he does have a hood in the stalls but he jumped well. Sir Michael was keen for me to try and take a reasonable pitch. I didn’t expect to be as close as I was but he jumped beautifully and they didn’t go as hard in the race as they looked like they would on paper but other than that he was beautifully smooth and gave me a lovely ride through.
I was happy once I got to the top of the hill and get one of the fence as I thought for a minute I might have been trapped three deep which I didn’t want to be. Once we went to the seven I was able to slide one off the fence. From there he was very comfortable, came down the hill really well balanced, changed leads over the road and off he went to top gear.
He was travelling so nicely and he helped me along and he gave me a beautiful ride. The way he was going when we turned in and went over the road he changed leads and he skipped away I was quite taken away with him. He was very good.
Turning in he was still going so well, I probably just put him into top gear a little soon. I probably got there a little soon – the others just weren’t able to take him along, and it just shows that he’s got a good deal about him. Once I got upsides Ryan [Moore, on Stone Age] I was able to take a little breath at the two-pole and let him kick on, and he didn’t everything beautifully.
I got goose bumps pulling up, when you realise you’ve won, but at the two-pole it was all over. I think the horse was a bit more push-button today; he was a lot more alert through the race. Everything I asked of him I got pretty much straight away. At York it took me a little time to wind him up and everything was much more solid today.
He does have gears; he got to the line very well. He’s very likeable and has got a lot of class. The rest i
s up to Sir Michael. In the last two years, being supported by the likes of Sir Michael gives you confidence as a rider, and I think it’s done me good.
I think this huge for any rider to win a Derby as lots of very good jockeys go through their career without being able to ride in the Derby or winning a Derby. It is only for the support of Sir Michael, his owners and his staff and all the other trainers that have supported me along the way I’ve been able to.
Tom Dascombe has been great to me throughout my career. He’s been a rock, he’s really had my back for a long time and he got the ball rolling. He gave me a huge amount of confidence as a young man.
There are so many people who have got me here – too many to thank, but my wife for putting up with me, my agent has looked after me for 15 years and done a great job. I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me along.
It’s also nice that my kids were able to come. I was a bit nervous about them coming because it changes my routine, but my wife wanted to be here and I’m glad they all were.
Desert Crown has got a lovely character and clearly he is very good. I think as jockeys we all feel to win a race like this you have to do something spectacular but at the end of the day, as Sir Anthony McCoy said, the horse does most of the work and I was the one fortunate to be sat aboard him.
You can put this down to him. It’s all about him and Sir Michael, really – he’s a lovely horse and it’s a lovely gentleman who trains him.
Richard Kingscote was speaking in post-race interviews and in the post-race media conference
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