York, England// Frankie Dettori ruled the Knavesmire for the second day in a row after Wings Of Desire’s victory in the Dante Stakes wrapped up the English Derby picture in the tightest of Gordian knots.
Wings Of Desire came with a late run from the rear of the field under a fine ride from the Italian, and inside the final furlong they pounced on Ryan Moore and Deauville, owned in part by Fitri Hay, to post a cosy success in traditionally the strongest Derby trial.
Foundation beat Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid's Muntazah, who was very keen early on under Paul Hanagan, for third place.
Wings Of Desire had the first serious gallop of his career only on March 15, a week after his trainer, John Gosden, had removed him from the Derby entries due to his inexperience.
Since then, the son of Pivotal has blossomed and it was his second win from three starts since he made his debut a winning one at Newmarket on April 16.
With such rapid progress Epsom, with all of its twists and turns, on the first Saturday in June might come too soon, but providing the chestnut colt comes out of the race well owner Lady Bamford will have to find £75,000 (Dh398,128) to pitch Wings Of Desire back in to the Derby.
“I will have to get down on one knee and apologise to the owners,” Gosden said.
“They will have to take all of that lovely prize money and use if for entering him.”
Wings Of Desire is one of five horses who will need to be supplemented in to the Derby.
Richard Hannon has Viren’s Army, the Dee Stakes winner, and Humphrey Bogart, the Lingfield Derby Trial winner, primed to be supplemented.
Godolphin are looking at spending £150,000 to enter Cloth Of Stars, Andre Fabre’s Prix Gruffulhe winner, and Linguistic, who was a short head behind Viren’s Army.
Wings Of Desire will be given a chance to show he has the skill set to operate effectively around Epsom at the course’s Breakfast With The Stars event on May 24, six days before the entry deadline, but Dettori said it might all be in vain.
“He is very raw and immature. We know he has an engine and a turn of foot, but he doesn’t know quite how to use it,” he said.
“If I was to be critical I think the Derby might come too soon.
“It will be a big field this year, and that might get in his way – he might not be mature enough to get a good spot.”
Godolphin enjoyed their moment in the sunshine when Saeed bin Suroor saddled a double on the undercard.
James Doyle first guided Beautiful Romance to a tenacious win in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes to set up a possible run at Royal Ascot, and then an hour later he partnered Always Smile to land the Hambleton Stakes.
Last season Beautiful Romance struggled to make a breakthrough at the top level, but she looks to have improved physically for her first race since she finished third in the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October.
“She has developed during the winter to become a machine,” Godolphin racing manager and chief executive John Ferguson said.
“This year she is bigger, stronger and better. She is the kind of filly that could go for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot.”
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