Golden Horn took Epsom by storm in 2015 when winning the Derby from his stable-mate and now-fellow Overbury Stud sire Jack Hobbs.
He had taken the G2 Dante Stakes ahead of the Derby and then added the Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to his Group 1 haul during a mighty season which saw him crowned Horse of the Year.
Now, Golden Horn looks set to be represented by his first runner in the Derby when Julie Wood’s Voyage lines up at Epsom a week on Saturday.
Mrs Wood was at Epsom with her colt and trainer Richard Hannon for the Betfred Derby Gallops Morning on Tuesday and couldn’t hide her excitement at the prospect of having a runner in the Derby.
She said, “What a wonderful lead-up. You can’t beat it, can you? I’ve been waiting for years to get one good enough to line up and this is it.”
She bought Voyage at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 40,000gns from his breeders Effevi Srl and Razza Del Velino.
“I always throw a stayer in every year,” she added of her selection process at the foal sales. “I always put one in hoping that one will be good enough to come here, and this is the lad. He’s got the right page for it, and I just want to enjoy the moment. It’s good to be in a place like this and it’s nice that they let you have a run around the track, because it’s so unique, so it’s good to have a sluice round Tattenham Corner and down the hill.”
Voyage has made just one start so far, winning a ten-furlong Newbury maiden in impressive fashion at the Greenham meeting. His owner continued, “He’s bred to stay and that’s what he showed he did in spadefuls. That is always a good maiden at Newbury – it always throws up good horses.
“We had been declared last year at the back end for a similar mile and a quarter [race] but the track was waterlogged and the meeting was off. That was just the year we had but we might have been coming here with another run under our belts. He has strengthened up over the winter and he did a racecourse gallop before he ran first time. Today is an away-day and I think it will do him the world of good.”
