Queen's Derby hopeful facing moment of truth at Goodwood - Times Online

Queen's Derby hopeful facing moment of truth at Goodwood Julian Muscat - Times Online:

"The unbeaten Free Agent returns from injury on Wednesday afternoon and will need to impress if he is to line up at Epsom next month

The Queen has what John Warren, her racing manager, describes as “a last-ditch opportunity” to be represented in the Derby when her Free Agent reappears today in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood. The unbeaten colt, trained by Richard Hannon, faces five opponents in the final trial for the blue riband on June 6.

Expectation is tempered by the fact that Free Agent is returning from an injury that curtailed his two-year-old campaign. The home-bred son of Dr Fong has been sidelined since winning Royal Ascot's Chesham Stakes last June. A bone flake was removed from his hind leg in September, since when the colt has been playing catch-up.

Free Agent was due to run at Chester until a foot abscess intervened, and connections were subsequently unwilling to throw him in at the deep end in York's Dante Stakes last week. However, it is now or never as far as Epsom is concerned, and Warren indicated that Free Agent must impress if he is to contest the Derby.

“This is a fact-finding mission,” he said, “but the Queen would want him to win convincingly to go to Epsom. Much though everyone would like her to have a runner, there would be no point in running for tail-end prize money.” Although Hannon is characteristically optimistic, Free Agent is expected to improve for his first outing in 11 months.