Desert Crown enjoying time in the paddock with season at an end

But Derby winner will be back next year.

Desert Crown, sidelined since winning the Derby in impressive style, will be kept in training next season and not be rushed back, as he continues to recover from an injury setback.

Sir Michael Stoute has been keen to give the unbeaten Saeed Suhail-owned Nathaniel colt plenty of time after he missed the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes with a minor ankle injury.

Bruce Raymond, Suhail’s racing manager, said he will not be back this season but a four-year-old campaign is still on the cards.

Owner Saeed Suhail with the Princess Royal at Epsom
Owner Saeed Suhail with the Princess Royal at Epsom (Tim Goode/PA)

“I took the owner to see him last week,” said Raymond. “He is turned out daily at Darley (Stud in Newmarket) – I live just across the road.

“We took some nice photographs with the owner patting him in the paddock.

“He goes out for maybe three hours a day and Michael came to see him. He said that while the weather is good, let him eat grass. ‘I’m not going to do anything with him, just let him eat grass’ he said.”

Of the long injury lay-off, Raymond added: “It was very minor and a lesser trainer would have run him.

“It’s not the way Michael does things. He doesn’t want to rush him back.”

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