PartialLogo
Derby festival
premium

Roger Varian: Derby defeat for King Of Steel 'a stronger disappointment' than Kingston Hill in 2014

King Of Steel right goes down fighting to Auguste Rodin in the Derby
King Of Steel (purple silks) goes down fighting to Auguste Rodin in the DerbyCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Finishing runner-up in the Derby a second time was harder to take than the first experience, according to Roger Varian, who reflected with mixed emotions on King Of Steel's second to Auguste Rodin in the Epsom Classic.

Varian watched Kingston Hill enter the final two furlongs of the Derby in the lead back in 2014, only for the Aidan O'Brien-trained Australia to catch him late in the race and it was a similar story on Saturday, as O'Brien's Auguste Rodin denied Varian a first Derby success when overhauling King Of Steel close home.

While Varian was not ruling out an Irish Derby rematch with Auguste Rodin at the Curragh, with connections of Derby runners Sprewell and Arrest also striking a similar tone yesterday, it was the Newmarket trainer's sense of disappointment that was most palpable.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on 5 June 2023inDerby festival

Last updated 18:45, 5 June 2023

iconCopy