Mixed emotions following Waipiro’s solid Derby sixth

DERBY DAY

I AM proud and frustrated as I look back on Waipiro’s hugely anticipated run in the Derby last weekend.

The pride comes from him running really well in what I thought was a very good Derby, the frustration from a feeling that he might have done better.

It wasn’t the plan to come from as far back as he did but he was drawn to the right of a gap where two blocks of stalls meet and he jumped into the gap, which is common for an inexperienced colt like him. The horses in front closed up and before you knew it he was last.

There was nothing Tom Marquand could do - if you try to make up ground over that hill, you are cooked.

When he began to close in the straight, I thought for a minute that he was going to do some damage, but then he rather paid the price for having to make headway in a hot part of the race.

I’m not for one moment saying he’d have won the Derby had he been able to sit nearer the pace, but I’m sure he’d have finished a bit closer.

The plan now is to head to Royal Ascot, if it doesn’t come too soon after two hard races, and he may revert to 1m2f in the Hampton Court Stakes.

I was suspicious at Lingfield that he may not have stayed the full mile and a half, and I had that thought again at Epsom, although his poor closing furlong sectional there may have been due to having had to do so much earlier in the straight.

The winner is exceptional and so are the trainer and his team, it’s quite remarkable what Aidan O’Brien does time and time again.

He keeps producing horses in peak condition on the big day and backs his judgement - he never once wavered in his faith in Auguste Rodin after Newmarket, he had complete belief in him.

Royal Ascot is the target for Random Harvest, who left her disappointing run in the Dahlia Stakes firmly behind by finishing second in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

She was a different mare on Saturday and ran a really pleasing race, particularly as she was giving a Group 1 winner 3lb and could have done with getting a lead for a little longer as she was left in front quite a way out.

She’s come out of the race in great form and she got better and better with racing last year so we’re looking forward to either the Duke of Cambridge Stakes or the Royal Hunt Cup, which isn’t entirely out of the question for her.

She has no penalty in the Hunt Cup and she’s already got plenty of black type. A Royal Ascot winner would probably mean more to Lady Bamford than finishing third in the Duke of Cambridge, so we’ll monitor the races and keep both options alive.

Mountain Peak couldn’t boss the Dash as he did last year and he looked after himself once he was held. He could go back to Ascot next month for the race he won there last year.

It was always a risk that they’d be too fast for Came From The Dark coming down the hill and, even though he ran on, it wasn’t to be for him.