'It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' - Middleham Park daring to dream with Kentucky Derby hope

Middleham Park Racing are dreaming of having a runner in this year's Kentucky Derby with Brave Emperor, who will put his credentials for the race on the line at Chelmsford next month.

The Archie Watson-trained three-year-old emerged as a possible contender for the first leg of the US Triple Crown at Churchill Downs on May 6, when winning the "Road To The Kentucky Derby" Conditions Stakes at Kempton last week.

That race is part of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby, on which Brave Emperor sits joint-top with 20 points alongside the Aidan O'Brien-trained Cairo, who runs in the UAE Derby at Meydan on Saturday, 

The son of Sioux Nation is being aimed at the £100,000 Cardinal Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford on April 1 over a mile, which is the final race in the European qualification process and is worth 30 points to the winner.

Although he will need to be nominated for the Triple Crown, for which connections will need to pay $6,000 by March 27, victory could see him finish top of the European standings and edge him closer to the Kentucky Derby, which no horse trained in Britain or Europe has won.

Tom Palin: "We've got a lovely team to go to war with this season"

Middleham Park's Tom Palin said: "Everyone's heard of the Kentucky Derby and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to even be thinking about it. Whether he really is a mile-and-a-quarter dirt horse time will tell, but he's done nothing wrong so far.

"If he was to run very well at Chelmsford, it could mean he's guaranteed the European berth in the Kentucky Derby itself. Obviously, we'd have to pay the entry fees, transport and all that jazz, but if we run really well at Chelmsford we should get that place and hopefully we can at least think about it."

The syndicate had 125 winners in 2022, including a Group 1 with star juvenile The Platinum Queen, as well as winning the Weatherbys Super Sprint with Eddie's Boy.

While The Platinum Queen was sold to Japan-based Northern Farm for 1.2 million guineas at the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale, Palin is excited to find a potential new flagbearer once the turf season begins.

He added: "We had a brilliant year last year and we have sold the likes of Eddie's Boy and The Platinum Queen, and we wish all the best for their new owners.

"However, we've got a lovely team to go to war with this season and we'll also be seeing what we're doing early on in the next two to three weeks from our trainers."

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