Nations Pride to prevail as Epsom honours Queen

Lester Piggott’s timing was always impeccable. It was desperately sad to hear of his death, but what better time to go than the week before the Derby, and what better place to celebrate his life than at the racecourse he made his own?

Six Oaks and nine Derby wins were part of a glittering career, and Epsom was where he shone his brightest. He was a global sporting icon who became part of British culture, so on a day that promises to be quintessentially British, we celebrate the life of one of Great Britain’s greatest sportsmen with the world’s most famous Flat race to be run in his memory.

This is only a small part of the story, though, and this weekend will be a Platinum one as we honour the Queen and all she has done for racing.

For 70 years, she has been part of the sport’s fabric as an owner, breeder, its global ambassador – and most importantly, horse racing’s most treasured supporter.

Just four days after her coronation, she was here as an owner for the first time with Aureole, who was beaten only by Pinza in the 1953 Derby.

Since then, she has had more than 1,000 winners, including five Classics. But the Derby has always eluded her.

ITV has made a feature for today’s show all about the Queen’s love of the horse, involving her racing manager John Warren, jockey Ryan Moore and trainer Sir Michael Stoute. Around a table at the Jockey Club Rooms in Newmarket, we discussed Carlton House’s misfortune in 2011. Sir Michael, who is not known for showing too much emotion, banged the table in frustration when he recalled the setback Carlton House had when he spooked at a camera on the gallops just 10 days before the Derby. Moore then recounted how things went wrong before and during the race – and still Carlton House was only beaten by less than a length.

Aureole may have finished second, but Carlton House feels like “the one that got away”. I am sure the Queen would enjoy it more than anyone if Sir Michael took a sixth Derby this afternoon with Desert Crown, 12 years after his last. This is a perfectly set up Derby for this special weekend.

A hot favourite with Sir Michael back on the big stage; the usual big Ballydoyle battalion and racing’s other superpower, Godolphin, also showing a strong hand; Frankie Dettori on a live contender and plenty of others, too, in with chances. It is a race with a big field to capture the public’s imagination.

I am backing Nations Pride to win back-to-back Derbies for trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.

I was so impressed with his win at Newmarket on the Friday before the Guineas that I implored the trainer to supplement him here. He appeared less keen on my suggestion then, but supplement him he has.

Kieren Fallon would not be far behind Piggott when it comes to the all-time greats around this unique, helter-skelter track. These days, Kieren rides out for Godolphin and plays a lot of golf.

I have a charity golf day every May at the Belfry, which Kieren usually wins. This year he was asked who would win the Derby and he did not hesitate: Nations Pride. So, that is the one for me.

Piggott shone brightest in the Derby and the world’s most famous Flat race will be run in his memory

As well as an intriguing Derby, there is a treat for people watching at home as another of the world’s legendary jockeys will be alongside me on ITV.

Steve Cauthen, the “Kentucky Kid”, came to Britain in 1979, having become the youngest jockey to win the American Triple Crown – and an American superstar gracing the cover of Newsweek and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year.

For more than a decade, Cauthen took our sport by storm, changing the way jockeys rode, with his toe-in-the-iron style and clock-inhis-head pace. He was champion jockey three times and rode 10 British Classic winners.

He remains the only jockey to have won both the Kentucky and Epsom Derby, so his views on the great race will be compelling.

Shortly after Steve arrived in the UK, Piggott once said, “he’s good, but not that good”! They went on to be great rivals as well as friends with huge respect for each other – and I am sure Steve will be full of stories and pay a glowing tribute to the greatest of them all as he appears as a pundit on UK television for the first time.