Stanhope Gardens is a much bigger price than Dante-winning stablemate Pride Of Arras, but Ralph Beckett revealed on Thursday that it was the former who he saw as his likely Derby horse in the winter.
The bookmakers got it wrong when the trainer had a one-two in the Oaks 12 years ago, with 20-1 shot Talent beating 3-1 chance Secret Gesture.
And Beckett warned against underestimating Stanhope Gardens, who was beaten a neck by market leader Delacroix at Newmarket last autumn but made his reappearance just a fortnight ago due to a pulled muscle.
The son of Ghaiyyath is a best-priced 16-1 for the Derby.
Looking ahead to Epsom, the trainer said: “Going into the winter this horse was always the one that I thought was most likely to show up here.
That form with Delacroix is very good. He was pretty inexperienced that day, it was only his third start.
“I’m obviously delighted to have two runners in the race but I’m very pleased that he’s one of them.”
Stanhope Gardens made a belated return when landing a three-runner conditions race at Salisbury at 2-11 and Beckett said: “He’s a very straightforward customer.
The reason he didn’t make a trial is because he galloped away from home in mid-April and pulled a muscle at the back of his ribs.
We were unable to train him for two weeks and he’s done pretty well to get here.
“He’s a very well-balanced horse and very light on his feet and I always felt that it’s likely he would be suited by Epsom.
I have no concerns about trip or track.”
At a best price of 11-2, Pride Of Arras is quoted at a third of Stanhope Gardens’ price but their trainer said: “They’ve had very different preparations, if I’d had a conventional prep with Stanhope Gardens I’d hope they’d be a bit closer.
“Bookmakers are rarely wrong and I think it’s likely they’ll finish that way round.
But we’ve been here before, I never thought Talent would finish in front of Secret Gesture in 2013. It was the right race for her and I hope it’s the right race for Stanhope Gardens.
“The ground was on the soft side when Stanhope Gardens went close to beating Delacroix and Beckett is not worried about possible give underfoot at Epsom for Pride Of Arras, who has yet to race on a surface easier than good.
“It’s not a concern,” he said.
“He has a soft-ground pedigree – it’s been a surprise to me that he handles fast ground as well as he does.”
Winning with either colt would top last year’s success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for a trainer whose Westover was an unlucky-in-running third at Epsom three years ago.
He said: “If you’re an Englishman and you train racehorses, winning the Derby is — and hopefully always will be — the summit.
“Few people get to do it and if it ever came off, any year, it would be more than I ever could have hoped for when I set out training.”Betfred Derby.
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