King Charles’ Desert Hero storms to victory in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood to become a true classic
- Desert Hero made headlines after the famous victory at Royal Ascot last month
- The horse, trained by William Haggas, followed that up with a victory over Goodwood
- Desert Hero is now a candidate to compete in the Classic for King Charles
The King and Queen will be getting their first entry in a British Classic after Desert Hero booked his place in the St Leger at Doncaster on September 16 with a win in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on September 16.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were reportedly “over the moon” after the Tom Marquand-ridden colt shrugged off a far-from-smooth run to beat Chesspiece by a neck.
Betfair responded by cutting the odds of Desert Hero’s St Leger from 16-1 to 6-1 third favourite.
Desert Hero had already made his mark after becoming the first Royal Ascot winner for the King and Queen with a victory in the King George V Stakes in June.
Yesterday’s performance of the 7-1 shot trained at Newmarket by William Haggas came as he stepped into class.
Desert Hero (L) and jockey Tom Marquand charged to victory in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood
The William Haggas-trained three-year-old has emerged as a true classic candidate for King Charles and the Queen
Desert Hero now has the chance to be the first winner of a British Classic in royal hands since Dunfermline won the St Leger for the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, her Silver Jubilee year.
Royal Racing adviser John Warren said: ‘The King and Queen have watched the race and they are extremely excited. For them to be so involved is great for racing.
“None of us know if Desert Hero will stay a mile (from the St. Leger), but the horse is so dedicated and brave there’s no downside to trying. When you have horses that try things can happen.
“It’s incredible in the King’s first year as a true owner, along with the Queen’s tremendous support, that they can enjoy a horse of this calibre together.”
Such was the late Queen Elizabeth’s passion for racing that some wondered if the new monarch would be just as involved in the sport.
But Warren, revealing that the King and Queen had recently judged the Royal broodmares and foals at the Royal Stud at Sandringham, added: “The King told me many years ago that he would always be committed to keeping the bloodstock portfolio in its own right. take and true to his word he is fascinated by it now that it is on his watch.
Desert Hero was praised after the race for being ‘committed and brave’ at Goodwood
“The story is great for racing because the queen is so fascinated too. They reviewed the stock 10 days ago. They’re really busy with the young stock coming up.’
The poignant footnote to Desert Hero’s St Leger challenge is that Queen Elizabeth II died last year at the Doncaster rally, delaying the St Leger for 24 hours.
The two horses for Desert Hero in the St Leger betting are Royal Ascot winner Gregory (5-2), the probable mount of Frankie Dettori, and Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance (9-2).
Meanwhile, Roger Varian-trained Al Husn (9-1) won the Group One Qatar Nassau Stakes ridden by Jim Crowley yesterday. French jockey Aurelien Lemaitre, riding Goodwood for the first time, had a nightmare ride on odds-on favorite Blue Rose Cen and finished fourth after failing to make a free run to the inside of the rail.
Desert Hero finished just ahead of James Doyle and Chesspiece (center)