Derby hero Desert Crown put down after failing to recover from injury

23 October 2023 , 16:11

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2022 Derby winner Desert Crown has been put down

Derby winner Desert Crown has sadly died after failing to recover from a serious leg injury.

The colt, who was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, became one of the easiest recent winners of the Epsom Classic when he triumphed by two and a half lengths last year. But he was seen on the racetrack only once more, when he was defeated for the first time when finishing second in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May.

The four-year-old was being prepared to return in the Juddmonte Internatonal at York in August when he fractured a fetlock on the Newmarket gallops. He was being treated at Newmarket Equine Hospital where he was humanely put down on Monday.

Desert Crown won over £1 million from just four career starts. Bruce Raymond, owner Saeed Suhail’s racing manager, told the Racing Post: “Desert Crown was a great horse and was destined to be one of the best if he hadn’t have had this injury.

“He was one of the easiest winners of the Derby that I can remember and it’s a great shame that we’ve lost him. As has been well recorded he fractured his off-fore leg for which he had to have 16 screws inserted.

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“Everything seemed to be going well but he put so much pressure on his near fore when he stood on it that it was unsustainable. He was put down humanely at NEH where the surgeons have been outstanding."

Raymond's assistant Philip Robinson said: “Everything was done to try and save him, we thought he was making progress but then he just started going backwards.

“With a severe injury like that there is a lot of pressure with the weight of the animal standing on it, but we really thought he was going to get there and it’s very sad he didn’t make it.

“You can try and help them with supports for the leg but at the end of the day they’ve got to be able to stand on their own.

“He had the best available treatment anywhere in the world, if he couldn’t be saved here then he couldn’t be saved anywhere.

“He was a fantastic horse and his Derby win was an incredible day that we’ll never forget.”

Jon Lees