English King new Derby favourite after impressive trial win at Lingfield

English King shot into the Epsom picture after showing an impressive turn of foot to secure a taking victory in the Betsafe Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield.

Ed Walker’s charge is now as a best-priced 7-1 joint favourite for the Investec Derby on July 4, having put his rivals to the sword in some style under Tom Marquand.

There was a charge for the early lead in the extended 11-furlong heat, with King Carney eventually allowed to take it up and he appeared to set a decent pace.

Berkshire Rocco was travelling well in behind and he looked to have made a winning move as he kicked for home with a couple of furlongs to run.

However, English King was just starting to motor and he swept down the outside with only the minimum of encouragement, stretching away to win by an eased-down two and three-quarter lengths.

Fellow 9-4 market leader Berkshire Rocco was in turn seven lengths clear of the third, Summeronsevenhills

Marquand said: “Coming here today, there is always a question mark down that hill and he still clearly has signs of immaturity, so to have won that impressively and gone away in the style he did, we are all pretty excited about him.

“He is one to look forward to for the future, not just for Epsom.”

Walker was delighted with the performance and is now looking forward to a Derby bid.

He said: “That was exciting and you just wouldn’t quite know with him. He goes through the motions at home and is a very relaxed and a playful horse. It has been a fact-finding mission today and he couldn’t have done any better.

“The exciting thing is he has a high cruising speed, he has a turn of foot and he stays and those three together are the three qualities you need in a very good horse.

“We’ve had some good horses, but not a Group One horse. Stormy Antarctic has bashed on the door a few times, we’ve had a few others place in Group Ones, but now he is as exciting as we have had.

“We were hoping, but not expecting, because we have nothing to match him at home, so it’s really exciting.”

Mighty Gurkha produced a stunning performance first time out to score at Lingfield and book his ticket to Royal Ascot.

Trained by Archie Watson and ridden by Hollie Doyle – who has made a fine start to the new season – the Sepoy colt had obviously been doing things right at home as he was sent off at 8-15 for the Betsafe Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Auction Stakes.

Those who took the cramped odds never had an anxious moment, and the race was as good as over when Doyle kicked rounding the bend into the straight.

The partnership rocketed clear, with the winning margin being seven and a half lengths over Hot Scoop.

Doyle said: “He’s one of the nicest Sepoys I’ve sat on. He’s a little bit quirky, but there’s plenty of scope for improvement.

“He’ll go to Royal Ascot next, definitely. There’s plenty of scope there, he got the six (furlongs) well and he’s a nice big unit.

“I think he’d stay over six for now.”