Youth Spirit Derby trail in the name of the father

IT is 50 years since Mill Reef provided Kingsclere with its most famous moment by winning the Derby for Ian Balding – and there will be no more popular winner should his son Andrew repeat the trick with Youth Spirit next month.

Youth Spirit is the son of a Derby winner in Camelot, and

Balding has always rated him highly. His Chester Vase victor was a fine third to Battleground in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last year before an injury kept him off the track for the rest of the season.

Youth Spirit returned over nine furlongs in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket – where he was fourth to Highland Avenue – and relished the step up to the Derby distance of a mile and a half under Tom Marquand on the Roodee, beating Aidan O’Brien’s Sandhurst by a length and three-quarters.

He is subsequently a general 25-1 chance for the Cazoo-sponsored blue riband Classic – but given Khalifa Sat finished second at 50-1 last year for the same connections, the price should certainly not put anyone off. “He’s always been a horse we’ve rated very highly – the question mark was whether he stayed or not,” said Balding.

“There is stamina in the sire’s side, obviously, but there is plenty of speed on the dam’s side. He saw the trip out really well, and I’m thrilled.

“I knew he’d improve a good bit from Newmarket, because he’d been off the track a long while before running there, and everything happened a bit quick for him. He’s obviously come on for it, and I just thought he did everything really nicely today.

“Comparisons are bound to be drawn between him and Khalifa Sat. But Youth Spirit has much more speed – Khalifa Sat was a strong stayer at the trip – so I’m delighted the owner has another good one.”