Desert Crown is expected to improve for his second in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown and may head to Ascot for the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes.

It was the battle of the returning heroes in Sandown's feature race with the winner Hukum and Desert Crown returning from breaks of 356 and 355 days respectively. Hukum won the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs on his final start before a long break whilst Desert Crown was victorious in the Epsom Derby.

Reflecting on the run, Sir Michael Stoute said: "He is a little ring-rusty. He looked like he had his race won and then he just tied up in the closing stages. He has been a year off – it has been a long time."

Asked about future targets, Stoute said: "It will be the two races he's in [King George and Prince of Wales's Stakes] – I'm not going to make any decisions now."

Bruce Raymond, racing manager for Desert Crown's owner Saeed Suhail, said: "I think he did everything right. It is not for me to say, but I thought he was fitter than that. It has been a long time since he ran, as it was with the winner. He probably needed it, because he's had a good blow.

"He was smooth and I felt he did everything right. Obviously he didn't know the winner was stuck in behind, but I felt he did everything right. Obviously he is going to improve."

In a post-race interview with Racing TV, jockey Richard Kingscote said : "He was great, he moved well, in a nice rhythm, he moved up well and picked up well.

"He did everything perfectly, but a good horse came and ran him down. Before today they both proved they were very good horses and both had been off all but a year.

"It was a very good run, I'd have liked to have won but I'm very happy, he'll come forward from it.

"Critics will say I was there too early, I probably would myself but the winner didn't have a smooth passage and still came and got us.

"He looked very fit the other horse and well done to connections."