The Queen’s star horse now hot favourite for the Investec Derby

The Queen, one of Flat racing’s greatest supporters and enthusiasts, has never won the world’s most famous Flat race, the Investec Derby. The best she has fared was in the year of her coronation, 1953, when her colt Aureole came second. The question now is can she go one better in the year of a royal wedding?

With Carlton House, she is set to go into this year’s race on 4 June with the red hot favourite and looks to have a tremendous chance of lifting the magnificent Investec Derby trophy at Epsom on that eagerly awaited Saturday afternoon.

The 1½ mile Investec Derby, one of the star races in the QIPCO British Champions Series, looks made for Carlton House following his impressive warm-up victory in the 1¼ mile totesport Dante Stakes at York this afternoon.

The extra two furlongs at Epsom look certain to suit the imposing colt, who showed a great attitude when asked to go through a small gap between horses when he made his challenge just over a furlong from the finish after a slowly run race. That will stand him in good stead when it comes to negotiating the undulations and turns at Epsom, which often create a lack of racing room and favour brave, well balanced horses.

John Warren, the Queen’s Racing Manager, said: "I talked to Her Majesty through the race and she was concerned about the lack of pace but when he went through the gap she let out a yelp!

"The Queen will be at Epsom and this will mean a lot to her.”