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It has been announced that Derby hero Desert Crown has been put down as a result of the fetlock injury sustained in August.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt was only seen four times on a racecourse, making a winning debut as a juvenile at Nottingham in November 2021. He returned with an easy victory in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York before starting favourite for the 2022 Epsom Derby. The result never appeared in doubt as the colt powered clear under regular rider Richard Kingscote with a furlong to go, recording a two-and-a-half length success over Hoo Ya Mal. On his four-year-old reappearance, Desert Crown lost nothing in defeat when second to Hukum in the Group 2 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park.
Although a slight set back had kept Desert Crown out of this year's Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, the colt had returned to full training when sustaining a fractured front fetlock in a routine gallop. He was treated at the Newmarket Equine Hospital, where he remained until Monday afternoon when the team decided there was nothing further that could be done to aid the four-year-old's recovery.
"There's not a lot to say other than it is just very, very sad," said owner Saeed Suhail's assistant racing manager Philip Robinson.
"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."
Despite only racing four times, Desert Crown accumulated over a million pounds in prize money for owner Saeed Suhail.