All eyes were on Desert Crown as the 2022 Epsom Derby winner made his eagerly anticipated reappearance, but it was Owen Burrows’ Hukum that collected Sandown’s feature.
The 2022 Derby winner was having his first start since that impressive display on the Epsom Downs and jockey Richard Kingscote looked to have matters in control as the pair sauntered into the lead approaching two furlongs out.
However, Hukum, who was making his first start since winning the Coronation Cup the day before Desert Crown's emphatic Derby victory had other ideas. Jim Crowley looked to get caught in a pocket up the Sandown straight but soon worked his way into the outside lane and the son of Sea The Stars produced a smart turn of foot to collar the 2/5 favourite Desert Crown by half a length.
Sir Michael Stoute was bidding for a remarkable twelfth victory in the contest, but his old assistant Owen Burrows would record a first courtesy of his stable star.
Speaking with Racing TV jockey Jim Crowley said: "He was very good. Obviously, he had been training well at home and I even muttered the words to Owen that this is the best I had known the horse and he'd almost got quicker at home.
"I think the key is the ground is beautiful tonight - he just loves to get his toe in a fraction."
"The way the race was run, I was in a bit of a pocket where I was drawn and as I'm on a mile-and-a-half horse I didn't really want to sit out the back. I just had to hope it would open up, and it did. The two boys came past me and got racing and because he was in a pocket, he was filling up the whole way and he showed a turn of foot we haven't seen from him before. It was a very, very good performance."
When asked about the training performance by Owen Burrows to get the horse back to full health, he added: "Amazing job. He's done well to get him back. You saw what he could do in the Coronation last year with a bit of juice in the ground and with things in his favour he's top, top-drawer."
Hukum, who returned the 5/1 second favourite, was cut from 25/1 to 12/1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Paddy Power.
