Royal Champion runs out a classy Winter Derby winner

Royal Champion continued to thrive in the hands of Karl Burke with a convincing victory in the BetUK Winter Derby at Southwell.

The seven-year-old is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and has spent previous seasons with Roger Varian and in Australia with Anthony and Sam Freedman.

After the latter spell he joined Burke and made a winning debut for the stable when taking the Listed Quebec Stakes at Lingfield late last year.

He was the the 6-4 joint-favourite under Clifford Lee stepping up in trip and grade for the Winter Derby, competing over a mile and three furlongs for the first time in his career.

In a prominent run he always looked a threat and as the race progressed he was able to shake off the attention of fellow market leader Military Academy to prevail by a length and three quarters.

Valuable races overseas now enter the equation, as do contests at a higher level than this Group Three strike.

Burke said: “I’m going to have to have a chat with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, but there are some valuable races in Hong Kong at the end of April, there’s one over a mile and a quarter that would suit him lovely, it’s worth about £2 million, but we’ll have to have a chat about it.

“He was very keen today and he’s run right through the line, but they didn’t go quick. I did have a slight doubt about the one-mile-three trip, but as long as he got into a nice rhythm I thought he’d be fine and because they didn’t go quick he could.

“William (Buick, Champagne Prince, fourth) steadied it up going down the back and I did say to Cliff to be careful to not get too far back as he might just do that.

“He’s a classy horse, he’s got a lovely nature and I’m over the moon with that.”

He adde: “I’m not sure what happened in Australia, but I’m just over the moon to have him.

“He’s obviously just as good on the turf, as he was second in the Woodbine International for Roger a couple of years ago. Races like that are well within his compass on the international stage and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was competitive in Group Ones in Europe this season.

“That was one-mile-three today, and I will have to speak to Sheikh Obaid, but any of those Group Ones in Europe might be within his scope and it’s just a pleasure to have him in the yard.”