There has been only one bigger Derby field in the last ten years and there have been no more intriguing or dramatic renewals in that period. Bidding to give France a first Derby win since Empery in 1976 was Visindar, a potentially brilliant colt who had been an easy winner of his three races and was said to be by far the best three-year-old colt in a stable that seemed to have tremendous strength in depth in that department and also sent out the Lingfield trial winner Linda's Lad. Opposing him were the 2,000 Guineas second Sir Percy, four talented colts with differing strengths from the all-conquering Ballydoyle outfit, including the unlucky-in-running Dewhurst second Horatio Nelson, and several solid, if unspectacular, contenders from Britain's most powerful stables, not to mention some potentially smart dark horses and the odd no-hoper, among them an unraced jumps-bred colt who a former trainer had recommended gelding for a bumper campaign. The winners of all the major trials were present, most of them virtually certain stayers, but, as ever, there were plenty of others with their stamina and temperament to prove on a track and on an occasion that places enormous demands upon participants.

The closing stages of a Derby run at an unusually steady pace were among the most dramatic in memory, with Horatio Nelson suffering a fatal injury when weakening around a furlong and a half out and four colts flashing past the post almost together in the tightest finish of the modern era.

It would be impossible to rate the form highly by Derby standards for a host of reasons - for example, it was a slow time considering the quick ground, the second was a maiden, and there were horses all the way down the finishing order who were too close for comfort - but itwas a superb effort from SIR PERCY to come from off the pace to improve on his second to George Washington in the 2,000 Guineas and buck a trend that stretched back to 1991. Unbeaten in a two-year-old campaign that culminated in his Dewhurst defeat of Horatio Nelson, he had not shaped like a colt who was crying out for a mile and a half in the Guineas, but he has inherited stamina from his dam as well as speed from his sire and he enjoyed a charmed run up the rail to get up Dylan Thomas's inner and lead on the line. There are no end of options for him now - besides the Irish Derby and King George, he would have the speed for ten furlongs in the Coral-Eclipse - but connections are in no rush to commit.

Dragon Dancer excelled himself in second, having been placed in two maidens (one of them on the all-weather at Kempton) prior to his Chester Vase second. While it would be unfair to suggest there was any fluke about it, he did enjoy a relatively hassle-free time in second behind Dylan Thomas froma long way out, the pair of them a good couple of lengths clear two furlongs out. He will be supplemented for the Irish Derby.

Dylan Thomas came here via the Derrinstown route that came up trumps for Sinndar, Galileo, High Chaparral, and it very nearly paid dividends for him too. He enjoyed himself out in front, having taken over from Atlantic Waves after around three furlongs, and he kept battling away under pressure.

Hala Bek had beaten Dragon Dancer in a Newbury maiden on his debut, and there has to be a suspicion he would have beaten him again except for the interrupted preparation that forced him to miss the Dante, especially as he jinked dramatically when challenging just half a furlong out, causing Philip Robinson to get unbalanced, momentarily drop his reins and get in a tangle. It cost him momentum, and as he was beaten only the equivalent of a neck it can be argued his inexperience cost him the race.

The remote Dante second Best Alibi was also hanging left - more so than Visindar - and he did well to stay on into sixth.

Sixties Icon, who didn't race last year and had won only a Windsor maiden, was among the surprise packages who finished much closer than one would have anticipated. He too was edging left, but he ran really well, especially as his inexperience had shown when he was coltish in the preliminaries.

Mountain, second to Dylan Thomas in the Derrinstown and the longest-priced of the Ballydoyle quartet, stayedon from a moderate position for a respectable eighth, ahead of Linda's Lad, who was reluctant to go to post and added to his brilliant trainer's lamentable Derby record with a lacklustre effort that never threatened to trouble the principals.

Chester Vase winner Papal Bull ran much better than his finishing position suggests, as he didn't come down the hill well but was at last making good headway up the inside rail when he was stopped in his tracks by Linda's Lad two furlongs out. He couldn'trecover - in fact, he didn't look entirely happyafterwards - but he had been motoring at the time and might well have been in the frame if he had sustained his run.

The Predominate winner Championship Point dropped right out after racing handilywith no obvious excuse, and Dante winner Septimus was yet another ‘trial' winner to disappoint, although he had the excuse of very different ground. There were also rumours he had been rather flat since York, so he could well bounce back in the autumn.

Before You Go wasn't good enough, but the drying ground was an obvious negative. Sienna Storm also had a mountain to climb on form, and the addition of blinkers made no appreciable difference.

Atlantic Waves didn't last long in the lead and finished well beaten, along with Snoqualmie Boy, whose Newbury third put him close behind Dragon Dancer and Hala Bek but who was keen early on in a handy position and dropped back through the field in the straight.

Noddies Way excelled himself, although surely flattered to finish only 30 lengths behind the winner. Having been last early on, he made headway on the outside at the top of the hill to pass several fancied runners before dropping right out in the straight. He didn't embarrass anyone, and he didn't get in anyone's way.

Horatio Nelson's leg injury, so severe that he had to be put down, marred a glorious occasion. There were signs that something might be amiss when he was examined at the start and then kept constantly on the move until he was led into the stalls. With hindsight, it was a tragedy that might have been avoided.[GD]

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